Wildlife on the banks of the River Soar

Mink (Mustela vison) on River Soar moorings opposite Waterside Inn, Mountsorrel

A long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus) enjoys fat balls from feeder on banks of River Soar, Mountsorrel.

A distant view of a buzzard (Buteo buteo) above River Soar at Mountsorrel – in 2015 quite a common sight.

The River Soar is not only a place for pleasure on the water but also a rich and developing source of natural life – plants, mammals, fish and birds. In this post Beryl McDowall shares a few of her own photos of some of the mammals and birds seen on the river banks in recent years, as well as one showing a pike (Esox lucius) in the hands of two skilled anglers. There are slightly surprising photos such as a mink (Mustela vison) on the moorings and a now all-too-rare hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus). Long-tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus) often come as a group of four or five to take advantage of feeders and buzzards (Buteo buteo) are regularly seen in the sky above Mountsorrel.