When I moved to the Peak District there were four wildlife inhabitants that I was hoping I would get to see. They were A Badger, An Owl, A Hedgehog and A Mole! I’ve been really fortunate to unexpectedly see the first three but the Mole, well due to his insistance to live underground, he or she is managing (however many times I stand above a mole hill waiting for it to move) to stay well and truly hidden from sight.
They are certainly very active at the moment and proof of their exsistence is to be seen everywhere. Every morning. If only I could time it right to see that sweet velvety creature poking his head out of his mole hole.
Hmmmm, on second thoughts by the look of those shovel like paws maybe its best he stays in his hole!! I think I may run for cover if I actually saw one.
Some Mole facts to digest:
1. They are rarely seen as they spend most of their lives underground. Hmmm maybe i’ll stop searching!
2. By digging up the earth Moles keep the soil healthier by aerating it, allowing more types of plants to grow which in turn feeds more insects. Their tunnels also improve soil drainage. and prevent puddles from forming above ground.
4. A mole can dig up to 200 metres of tunnel in a day! Gosh that is one busy creature! It kind of swims along using a moley version of our breast stroke, pushing loose soil up to the surface every now and then, resulting in the molehills that we see.
5. And the last and worst fact: They thrive on earthworms which they immobolise with a bite to the head! then store (alive) in a special chamber. I guess like a pantry for when they feel ‘peckish’. Up to 470 worms have been recorded in one mole kitchen alone.
Well having got fed up of staring at every molehill I pass waiting for movement. and ending up spending some time reading about their habits, I may have changed my opinion slightly on those black, soft, velvety little ‘MONSTERS!’. Maybe they are best left well and truly underground.
They do however clearly have an important ecological role.
All this thinking of moles reminded me of a song I havent heard in ages, which has been going round and round in my mind for days.
I leave you with ‘I am a mole and I live in a hole’ by The Southlanders.
Love Alison x
Through rose tinted glasses. 
Funny song! I saw a mole (clearly out of his element) the other day running frantically over the crusty snow. Must have lost track of its hole! I didn’t watch him/her to see if something took advantage of his vulnerability.
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That must have been a surprise. Yes it wouldnt have been nice to see him caught. I hope it got back to safety.:)
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Broad daylight and possibly hawks around, I couldn’t watch!
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We too have moles everywhere. And, I believe there is a fierce battle between them and the garter snakes that roam underground and above ground out here too. Both are also preyed upon by the hawks. Incredible amount of killing going on beneath our noses! Great blog, Alison!
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Yes there certainly is. Im often quite thankful to be inside safe and warm when I think of whats going on in the natural world especially at night.
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Well now….when I woke up this morning I had no idea I would be learning about moles and their roles. Thank you for the uplifting information. On a related note, as a retired elementary teacher, I can say, from experience, that the information you presented would look good in an early reader science-type book for young readers. I thought you wrote about moles in an interesting manner and did so with a breezy, accessible style. Kids would love it as much as I did. Anyway, I hope that you are having a great day. Thanks for brightening mine, all the way here is cold and snowy Cobourg, Ontario, Canada. 😀
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Well youve certainly brightened my evening with that kind comment. Thankyou. That was encouragement for sure. I dont knie if you remember reading a
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I dont know if you remember reading the poem I wrote a while back called ‘A Christmouse Tale’. Im working on putting that into a little book and speaking with an illustrator. Its my project for the year. Thankyou again and glad you enjoyed my blog.
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You are a lovely writer. I am sure that phrases such as a “gift laden mouse” and “cloth wrapped cheese” and all of the other wonderful imagery will be well-received by those lucky enough to read such a book. Good luck on your endeavour. I am proud of you.
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Thankyou Tom .
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I am always on the look out for moles too, especially since my other half found a mole near his workplace wandering along a concrete path. He gently lifted it over the fence ( it scrabbled about alot apparently) into a field where it happily disappeared underground. I wish I had seen it!
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I can’t get that catchy, cute tune out of my head now LOL…I was fascinated with this post because there are no moles in Arizona, the soil is so dense and part clay so it’s much to hard, but they sure are interesting little creatures, I haven’t seen much on moles, wonderful post.
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Im sorry Laura, its going round and round in my head too. I hadnt thought of it for ages then it suddenly came to mind again and Ive been humming it since i looked it up. I was looking again today and the fields are full of those black soil mounds. Im wondering why there are so many at this time of year.
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So here’s what I found out about mole activity. First, they’re still active during winter because they don’t hibernate and second, in January male moles are looking for a female.😊
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I wondered if that was the reason. I will go to bed dreaming of moles burrowing in search of a girlfriend😊
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I had no idea that moles are such interesting creatures. Thanks for the information, Alison.
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Yes the certainly are and with a few rather gruesome habits too.
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