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Stoat (Mustela erminea) Stoats are widespread throughout the British Isles. They frequent woodland, farmland, uplands, moorlands, marshes, sand dunes and hedgerows. They are slim-bodied, with short, black-tipped tail. Chestnut brown on top with a sharp division separating the underparts. They are about 25cm long and a fiurther 76mm or more for their tails. Females may be 50% smaller than male. Whilst attempting to photograph a family of Kingfishers who had recently nested on the River Wear (I failed and have still not been lucky enough to point my camera at this colourful bird!) I saw a number of stoats wondering around the grass verges near the river. The top and second photographs show the animal off in all its glory, a thin wiry animal it has a fearful reputation. It is agile and can bend its long body into the smallest hole searching for its prey. As can be seen in both images the stoat is always on the look out both for prey and predators. In the bottom image, I was lucky to see this stoat as it moved in to kill the rabbit, despite the rabbit being heavier and bigger than the stoat it appeared to freeze with shock and the stoat easily overpowered it. Canon 30D, Canon 100-400mm IS lens. |
