This water vole dwells just a few metres away from the top of the marsh in the rhynes (drainage ditches) of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve.
This hamster-sized, furry bundle with shiny eyes of jet black beads was breakfasting on a succulent blade of grass by the bank.
The rhyne was covered with a thick green carpet of weed buoyed up by fallen reeds and “ratty” scurried across as if walking on water but was dunked unceremoniously whenever the carpet gave way. I left this wet and slightly disheveled water vole feasting on an extra chunky stem amongst the reeds. What a great way to start the day!
Watercolours and charcoal:
burnt sienna, raw umber and sap green
Unhappy with this watercolour sketch I used charcoal to liven it up . . .
. . . and continued using it for the other sketches.
This water vole was seen early on 12 May
Sketch Notes (top sketch)
Water vole: charcoal and graphite
Reeds : raw umber and permanent rose watercolours finished with charcoal
Weeds and grass: Supracolour watercolour pencils – jade green, lime green and light green.
Useful links: (links open in a new window)
About the water vole
http://www.britishwildlifecentre.co.uk/planyourvisit/animals/watervole.html
http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/species/water-vole
About Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve
http://www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/portbury_wharf.htm
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