bunn (bunn) wrote,
bunn
bunn
  • Mood: intrigued

Mink, ferret or something stoataly different...

 I saw a mustelid this morning.  Well, what I actually saw was a dark reddish brownish thing that scuttled across the path at top speed.  It was too small and the legs were too short and it was generally the wrong shape to be a fox, so I reckon that gives me stoat, feral ferret or naturalised mink as the likely options, given that polecats and pinemartens are extinct in this area* and the environment kind of wrong for them anyway.

Didn't seem to have any white on it and it looked a bit big for a stoat (definitely too big for a weasel),  and googleing doesn't suggest any local colonies of feral ferrets, so I'm thinking probably mink?  Though it wasn't  near water (maybe a couple of miles from the River Tamar), it was on the side of a hill with lots of gorse and rabbits, so plenty to eat and plenty of cover.

*though I've always thought that searching the whole of Devon and Cornwall for something the size of a polecat to check it's not there would be one hell of a job.

Tags: wildlife
Subscribe

  • Changing times

    I considered photographing the trees I keep seeing cut down at the moment for firewood, but decided it would be a bit depressing. I may be making…

  • Egrets

    I did not see the seal that swam past the house the other day because Theo had managed to find a place where he could scramble over the wall AGAIN.…

  • State of the post-office

    I looked through my The Plague tag and thought I would add these photos to my personal record. We go here most days with stuff being sent from Shop…

  • Post a new comment

    Error

    Anonymous comments are disabled in this journal

    switch
    default userpic

    Your reply will be screened

    Your IP address will be recorded 

    Help
  • 10 comments

  • Changing times

    I considered photographing the trees I keep seeing cut down at the moment for firewood, but decided it would be a bit depressing. I may be making…

  • Egrets

    I did not see the seal that swam past the house the other day because Theo had managed to find a place where he could scramble over the wall AGAIN.…

  • State of the post-office

    I looked through my The Plague tag and thought I would add these photos to my personal record. We go here most days with stuff being sent from Shop…