The Fall and Fall of the Water Vole

Yet another study confirms that the UK population of Water voles (Arvicola terrestris) continues to plummet (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/sep/06/water-vole-population-slump). This
 present account suggests that numbers have declined by a further 20 percent and lays much of 
the blame at the door of the alien North American mink (they seem to find Water voles both 
delicious and easy to catch). I suspect that the picture is more complex as habitat degradation 
must play a role and there are other carnivores out there including Grey heron and otters.