Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
A Daylight Marten
by admin - 22:38 on 03 July 2011
No-marten James, who (like me) has struggled this year to get good mustelid sightings, took it well when I told him. Master Marten was around today at 4pm, in perfect light, and I was home to see him. James didn't even swear.
I'm almost certain that The Nutella Addict didn't return after last night's late visit. The goodies on the gate and in the tree were still untouched this morning, as was the Nutella I left in the photogenic buttercup clump. Curiously, the egg was half eaten and the ex-chaffinch just a pile of feathers. After perusal of my handy wildlife guide I've concluded that Speedy may be responsible. Hedgehogs are partial to carrion, it seems, if not hazelnut spread.
This meant that much Nutella and some egg was still up for grabs – a most unusual situation – when Master Marten bounded into the garden this afternoon as though this happened every day.
After clearing the gate he jumped down and galumphed across to the egg, which took no time to finish, then stuck his nose into the clump to get more Nutella. Following that my luck ran out. I'd hoped for some great shots of him in The Nutella Tree but he'd eaten enough and, after leaving his scent in a place or two, the replete diner bounded into the undergrowth.
Most of the time his head was down while he ate, so I took only a few snaps. However, two of them were crackers, although one would have been even better if I'd focussed on his head, rather than his bum. Such is life.
I kept one snap from last night for the contrast. It's amazing the difference that a bright day makes.
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