UKC

Climbing on An Stiuir last week I saw a pine marten darting about among the rocks at the top of the crag.

I thought they were mostly found in or near woodlands - but there can't be many trees within miles of Rubha Coigeach.

Anyone know if this is especially unusual?

And no, it wasn't an otter!

In reply to Andy Moles:

I've seen a pine marten high up on a grouse moor with no trees for miles. Had the same thoughts as you about being found in woods but it seems they are happy among rocks and heather too!

In reply to Andy Moles:

Might it have been a stoat?

In reply to Andy Moles:

They do seem to get around a bit: youtube.com/watch?v=JRKhA0cBzwo&

In reply to Andy Moles:

Morbh/Heather Monkey from UKC has photos of a pine marten at the summit of Ben Nevis, I seem to recall.

In reply:

Wow, they do get around!

In reply to DaveHall246:

No. they are stoatally different







I'll get my coat...

In reply to Andy Moles:

A pine marten ( nasty vicious little critter) got in to my daughter's chicken coop in Canada. Needless to say the Marten enjoyed it a lot more than the chickens! Only one chook survived. RIP Rooster Joe and 5 of his girls. My daughter is most miffed at having to buy supermarket eggs again!

Over there the Pine Marten's are not an endangered species (unlike the chickens) so the next door neighbour managed to trap and despatch it!

A new flock is being established and the coop has been marten and fox proofed. There's nothing they can do about the bears - but then again Chicken doesn't seem to feature in a bears diet!

In reply to Andy Moles:

I've seen one in the Duddon valley, on the fell above the campsite at Seathwaite...

In reply to Andy Moles:

Back in the day (80s) when I was more or less resident at White Dykes outside Kyle, a pine marten was a regular there. He was quick. Leaving food out was not a good plan.

Along the coast at Reraig, the woods are up above on the hill but down by the shore the Higgs had rat problems in their MoD-owned house. One night the rat noise was very excessive and then all went quiet. A pine marten was seen sitting on top of the post of the front gate (right beside the trunk road) at about ten in the morning licking blood off its paws. The rats were never seen or heard of again.

If you are a human, they appear very shy but if you are a rat, apparently not.

In reply to balmybaldwin: One's weaselly recognisable and one's stoatelly different.