The Guard

  My morning was spent yanking out irises and day lilies.  These are to be moved to a new location because the voles have just about ruined them.  For the time being, the rhizomes will be planted in pots and kept above ground in hopes of restoring them to health.  The voles gnawed so many of the day lily roots that I have only a few left in the gardens.  In my constant battle with the voles, I figure I can at least salvage a few of the plants before those, too, are gnawed.

  While on my hands and knees digging, I heard the osprey screeching above me.  I stopped to check its position only to find it was not far away.  In the top of a dead Black Gum tree, the bird was intently watching my every move.  This sort of aggravated me.  Although I am fully aware that this bird is a fish hawk, I felt that it should be enticed by the ready supply of rodents that inhabit the garden.  "Why are you not catching these critters?" I snarled at the bird.  Once those words left my mouth, I pondered if, indeed, the osprey would eat a vole.  Hmmmm?  That is something that I need to check!  Maybe my stripping the yard of any unnecessary foliage cover would make it easier for the osprey to spy the voles!  I kept pulling rhizomes and the many weeds that were mixed in with them.  I made a mental note to check my bird reference book when I finished this chore.

  In a word, yes!  Ospreys will munch a vole if fish are not plentiful.  They rarely stray from the seafood diet but will occasionally dine upon reptiles and rodents. I have seen ospreys in flight with snakes caught in the marsh so maybe a vole would be a tasty treat as well.  Then I read where most voles that are taken as prey by ospreys are caught while the rodent is swimming.  Voles swim?  I had no idea!  I mean, yeah, perhaps they CAN swim but do they take a dip often?  Again, in a word, yes!  Voles seem to like to swim and can even dive to swim underwater if need be.  This makes them vulnerable to being munched by large fish! Woohoo!  My army is growing by the minute here!  Ospreys and fish have now joined my team!

  The osprey stayed on its perch for the rest of the morning before making a hasty fishing trip.  Once it devoured its mullet, it came back to watch my progress in the garden.  Perhaps it was eyeing the vole highways and taking note of the exit holes.  Hopefully, the osprey will pull more than guard duty and actually get into combat by grabbing a meal or two from the garden.  Voles, beware!  I am encouraging all predators to be on full alert to your whereabouts!