This afternoon while parked alongside the dyke I spotted a Stoat coming towards us just above water level, then spotted either a rat or Water vole swimming towards it, it must have seen the stoat at the last second and changed course and clambered up the bank into the long grass. The Stoat had seen it and made chase, a few minutes went by and nothing was seen, then what we thought was a vole turned out to be a rat, it swam for all it's worth to the opposite bank. The Stoat gave chase but by this time the rat had gone in an hole in the bank. Both Eddie and I were keeping our bins on them not wanting to miss a second of the action! The Stoat went in the hole and came out a minute or so later emty-handed. Then it went along the dyke checking each hole as it went, after it was about twenty-five yards from the hole where the rat went in it decided to double-back. It then went in the rat's hole and about a minute or so later came out with it's prize Mr Rat. It dragged it along the mud for a few yards and then up the bank, stopping every few yards and looking our way, I whispered to Eddie the Stoat is welcome to it  The last we saw of them was the Stoat tucking in behind some tall grass and probably having an early evening meal .
This is first time either of us has ever seen a Stoat other than on television go in for the kill and succeed!
It reminds me of the snowball episode at MSQ last Xmas.
Kind regards
John and Eddie 
PS: also saw 3 Grey Squirrel at Black Bank.
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