At first I was calling this little creature seen in the photo above a mole or a vole. I had thought it might be a vole as I know voles make tunnels under the snow and live in them during the winter. I had seen this little shrew a couple of times in Bird Alley as I had watched it dash over the surface of the snow and then disappear down a hole in the snow. It was always so fast I had despaired of ever being able to get a picture of it, but Saturday when refilling the bird feeders I had accidentally dropped some seeds on the snow surface under the feeder. The shrew had found them there and stopped to feed and then disappeared in its snow tunnel and then returned to feed a few times again.I considered myself to have been so lucky to be standing there by my window with my camera After downloading the photos I noticed its pink snout and feet. It nose didn't look like vole pictures I had looked at. After some more researching I found a website with pictures more similar to mine. I have concluded that this busy little creature is perhaps a ' short-tailed shrew or a shrew of some kind'. How interesting!.! The little creatures that share our earth with us are so fascinating!.You can learn more about this little shrew by goggling 'short- tailed shrew' . I hope you enjoy the short video I have included below which shows the little creature in action disappearing back into its hole in the snow.
At first I was calling this little creature seen in the photo above a mole or a vole. I had thought it might be a vole as I know voles make tunnels under the snow and live in them during the winter. I had seen this little shrew a couple of times in Bird Alley as I had watched it dash over the surface of the snow and then disappear down a hole in the snow. It was always so fast I had despaired of ever being able to get a picture of it, but Saturday when refilling the bird feeders I had accidentally dropped some seeds on the snow surface under the feeder. The shrew had found them there and stopped to feed and then disappeared in its snow tunnel and then returned to feed a few times again.I considered myself to have been so lucky to be standing there by my window with my camera After downloading the photos I noticed its pink snout and feet. It nose didn't look like vole pictures I had looked at. After some more researching I found a website with pictures more similar to mine. I have concluded that this busy little creature is perhaps a ' short-tailed shrew or a shrew of some kind'. How interesting!.! The little creatures that share our earth with us are so fascinating!.You can learn more about this little shrew by goggling 'short- tailed shrew' . I hope you enjoy the short video I have included below which shows the little creature in action disappearing back into its hole in the snow.
Looks like hawk food to me. If you like him, hopefully it will find cover. If not - then a bird of prey will hopefully get it. I welcome the birds of prey in my backyard as the snow melts.
ReplyDeleteBill, I haven't seen any hawks in our area at all this year. Other years we have had Sharp-shinned Hawks visiting. I think the little Shrew is quite sfe around here this year but then one never knows. I wonder if a shrike would be interested? Thank you for your comment Ann
ReplyDeleteEwwwwwww. Quite cute how it pops down the hole so quickly in the video though. Eli enjoyed watching the video too. R
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