Moles are good swimmers

Generally moles dig their nest chambers well above water levels, so heavy rain and seasonal weather change doesn’t cause them concern.  On the occasions when severe flooding occurs and their tunnels become submerged, moles are able to swim to higher ground and safety.  They swim well, I suppose those great digging front feet make good paddles and their rounded bodies are buoyant.

This morning however I found a drowned mole – unfortunately it had got itself into the goose pond, the sides of which are straight and after the geese have splashed about, the water is a few inches lower than the rim.  It seems that the mole was unable to clamber out and I feel sickened to think of it swimming round and round in vain. I’ve put a pile of stones at the pond edge to prevent this happening again.  I’m trying to think why it would have gone there in the first place – but perhaps it just fell in by mistake.

I’m reminded of the mole sculpture I carved earlier in the year, which is in almost the same pose, though when I made it I was thinking of it digging, not drowning.