A few weeks ago now Mark Darlaston and Mike Langman were treated to some extra wildlife viewing while seawatching off the end of Berry Head. Seated in their usual area at the end of the quarry they were treated to a stoat around their feet - here are a few photos. The stoat has been seen a few times since by Ed Horsted the seasonal ranger and some volunteers, also in the quarry area so keep your eyes open when out on site! Photos courtesy of Mark Darlaston
To tell the difference between a Stoat and a Weasel look out for: Stoats have a long bushy tail with a black bushy tip (see photo!) Weasels have a short tail, uniform in colour with no bushy tip. Weasels also have an irregular margin between the dark back and pale belly area, whereas in Stoats the line is straight. Females of both species are smaller than males. Weasels are also generally alot smaller than Stoats, although there is alot of variation in both species size. They are both voracious hunters adapted to following their prey- small mammals in to their burrows. They also feed on larger prey such as rabbits.(Ref: Stoats and Weasels; Robbie McDonald and Stephen Harris)
