
Coming back from our trip to Maubuisson we stopped on the motorway to stretch our legs and have a cup of coffee. I settled down at an outside picnic table to sip my coffee when I thought I saw something run across the grass.

It was then that I noticed that there were a large number of holes in the grass. The sun was setting and it was not too easy to see into the holes.

A little bit of patience paid off.

I realised that a picnic area could provide mice with a good supply of food and I thought of all the sandwiches and biscuits that would be accidentally dropped from the picnic tables every day.

Nobody else seemed to have noticed them. I suppose people were content with their drinks and ice creams.

They were well camouflaged as they scuttled across the sun baked grass.

They exited from one hole and soon found another to dive into.

I’m not sure how many people would have appreciated sharing the picnic area with the mice (short tailed voles, Microtis agrestis) but I enjoyed watching their antics and let my coffee get cold.
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Born in Scotland I have lived in England, Iran, USA and Greece. The house and land was bought twelve years ago in fulfilment of the dream of living in France that my Francophile husband nurtured. We had spent frequent holidays in France touring the more northerly parts and enjoying the food, scenery, architecture and of course gardens. However, we felt that to retire in France and enjoy a more clement climate than we currently had in Aberdeen we would need to find somewhere south of the river Loire but not too south to make returning to visit the UK onerous.
The year 2000 saw us buying our house and setting it up to receive us and the family on holidays. The garden was more a field and we were helped by my son to remove the fencing that had separated the previous owners’ goats, sheep and chickens. We did inherit some lovely old trees and decided to plant more fruit trees that would survive and mature with the minimum of care until we took up permanent residence.
The move took place in 2006 and the love hate relation with the “garden” started.
There was so much to do in the house that there was little energy left for the hard tasks in the garden. It was very much a slow process and a steep learning curve. Expenditures have been kept to a minimum. The majority of the plants have been cuttings and I try to gather seeds wherever I can. The fruit trees have all been bought but we have tender hearts and cannot resist the little unloved shrub at a discount price and take it as a matter of honour to nurse it back to health.
This year I have launched my Blog hoping to reach out to other gardeners in other countries. My aim is to make a garden for people to enjoy, providing shady and sunny spots with plants that enjoy living in this area with its limestone based subsoil and low rainfall in a warm summer. Exchanging ideas and exploring mutual problems will enrich my experience trying to form my French garden.
September 20, 2013 at 7:01 am
I see their holes in the grass under the olives but have only once caught sight of a mouse making a hasty retreat at the sound of my footsteps.
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September 20, 2013 at 1:26 pm
Susan has come to my aid again, so I would like to let you know that they are not mice but short tailed voles. Like you I see the occasional mouse in the garden. sometimes they appear when I am watering and scuttle off disgusted with their impromptu shower.
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September 20, 2013 at 7:12 am
These are Short-tailed Voles Microtis agrestis, not mice. I am most impressed with your photos — they are not easy to capture with the camera as they move so fast. I wrote about the ones that live in my orchard here.
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September 20, 2013 at 7:50 am
Susan got up earlier than me…
the cats finally nudged me awake at around 7.30!!
but I’ll equal the ident and the comment on the pictures!!
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September 20, 2013 at 1:33 pm
Thank you, once more, Susan. I did think they looked a bit different from our grey mice I sometimes see in the garden. I’m not too good separating the mice, voles and shrews. I had never heard of putting down shelter for them in the garden. It is a very good idea.
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September 20, 2013 at 2:40 pm
Nice pictures! Voles are very cute. I used to have several in my yard, even had a few that would come up to me and take nuts right from my hand (I got it on video too). Haven’t seen some in a while though. 😦 We have a lot of hawks and a fox in the neighborhood now.
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September 20, 2013 at 7:48 pm
That is amazing to have them as tame as that. Susan encourages them by putting out sheets of corrugated iron and planks in her woodland area to give them shelter. Maybe you could tempt them back by providing them with something like that. She also writes that they are a favourite prey of owls 😦
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September 20, 2013 at 6:38 pm
How sweet! We get both mice and voles in our garden, but thank goodness not in large numbers. They are so fast I hardly get a chance to look at them to identify them! The holes they make are the tell-tale signs. These motorway mice/voles have chosen a good spot – nice photos!
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September 20, 2013 at 7:45 pm
They are so sweet as long as they stay in the garden!
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September 20, 2013 at 11:32 pm
We have a lot of trouble with small animals wanting to move in with us for the winter.
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September 21, 2013 at 11:29 am
It is lovely to observe wild animals but I would prefer they stay outside and not come in to observe us 🙂
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September 21, 2013 at 7:22 am
Cute. Sometimes I like watching the tiny mice that live in the London underground, they skittle about when it gets quiet.
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September 21, 2013 at 11:33 am
Makes you think about “The Littles” and “The Borrowers” when they do that 🙂
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September 21, 2013 at 8:25 am
The lawn margins and meadow where I work are riddled with vole holes, Amelia. I’m still hopeful that in time owls will move in. Though I hear tawnies often (from lunchtime onwards) I have yet to see one. Dave
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September 21, 2013 at 11:37 am
We’ve had no takers for our ready-to-occupy owl home yet but we are always hopeful. As you have a take-away service all set up in the meadow you could get lucky.
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September 21, 2013 at 11:47 pm
Those are such sweet animals – and pictures. Lucky find, Amelia. Well worth having cold coffee for! RH
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September 22, 2013 at 6:09 am
It was good entertainment and I am very grateful to Susan for pointing out they were voles.
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September 22, 2013 at 10:17 pm
Such a sweet mouse. I would have enjoyed her!
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September 23, 2013 at 6:41 am
It is usually very boring when you stop on the motorway but this time it was very entertaining.
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October 7, 2013 at 6:25 am
Wow – well done on getting these! Voles are like mice only cuter, IMO. We don’t have any in our garden, sadly.
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October 20, 2013 at 4:59 pm
Dang, rodents are so cute. Great shots. You just want to hug it.
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October 20, 2013 at 9:18 pm
I love them to bits – as long as they stay outside of the house.
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March 12, 2014 at 5:20 am
Do you mind if I quote a few of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources returning to your website:
https://afrenchgarden.wordpress.com/2013/09/20/motorway-mice/. I will
aslo be sure to give you the proper anchor-text hyperlink using your webpage title: Motorway mice or rather
motorway voles . Please be sure to let me know if this is
okay with you. Thankyou – Link building service.
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March 12, 2014 at 8:49 am
Please go ahead, thank you for contacting me first.
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