Cohabitation

I noticed a hole in the ground at the edge of my meadow and set a trail camera to see what was in it.  I reckoned whoever was down there could be tempted into view with a few sunflower hearts.  The result was a surprise as there were three different species sharing the hole, presumably with separate living accommodation underground.

I guessed there would be a vole as the hole was connected to tunnelled runs through the grass. Most often the camera shows a bank vole, usually dashing out and back in but sometimes disappearing down the run.

Bank voles move fast, hoping that there isn't a kestrel or a weasel watching.  This was on a different camera with a bit of a green colour cast.

Next to show was a common shrew.  Despite being insectivores, shrews are also keen on sunflower hearts.

And then a field vole.  Not so easy to tell at first because it usually shows up at night, but it is larger than a bank vole with a shorter tail and larger flatter ears.

Here are the three of them at night, plus a less welcome visitor.

The camera usually records the animals one at a time but one day there were several confrontations between a vole (probably the field vole) and a shrew.  Several times the vole blocked the entrance and once it chased the shrew - I have added a couple of slow motion replays because the action is so fast.  The last clip shows the shrew eventually gets in when the vole (probably a bank vole this time) turns its back.

I think this type of cohabitation is not unusual.  A few years ago I put a camera on the entrance to a pile of stone in the copse and recorded bank vole, common shrew, wood mouse and water shrew all using the same entrance.