Mystery poo? Pellet? Stuff found under a log by a lake

[Marten007]

At the Vincent Wildlife Trust we are searching for evidence of pine martens in England and Wales and we have had some promising recent sightings from that area. The scat certainly looks like it could be from a pine marten, but scats are difficult to identify by sight. We are interested and able to have the scat DNA tested to identify the species, and so if you were able to collect it and send it to us we'll do just that! Also, for anyone interested in our pine marten work, we have just set up a new website: Pine Martens - The Vincent Wildlife Trust

Thanks!

[vole-woman]

It was at the end of the log - I suppose I said under because I moved the log and then saw it. But it was on the ground, not the log itself.

I went back this morning but couldn't find the specific log or even the right general place - it's a confusing landscape, Brown Moss. I should have taken a GPS gadget with me and made a note. (Kicks self.)

What do gull pellets smell of? As I said, it was definitely an ottery-sort-of sniff. But there are loads of water birds in the area, too.

I'll contact the Mammal Recorder for Shropshire and ask if he's had any pine marten sightings round there.

[Dogghound]

Ive never smelt one , but common gull pellets look identicle to that, they will also eat cherries/berries, beetles etc and the habitat suits it. Seems the most likely explaination to me anyway.

[vole-woman]

I'll try and go back before tomorrow - take the kids, because they might remember better than me!

[The Woodman]

Nice to see you on WAB, Marten007, a warm Cumbrian welcome - not that you need it!

[Loz]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Ive never smelt one , but common gull pellets look identicle to that, they will also eat cherries/berries, beetles etc and the habitat suits it. Seems the most likely explaination to me anyway.

I agree with Dogghound. I found a pellet similar to that a month or so back at the side of a wheat field.



It disintegrated when I lifted it, but it contained cherry stones and beetle. In the same location I found numerous other pellets, some containing all wheat chaff (4.5cm long, 2cm wide), some with chaff and beetle, and some containing all three (therefore assuming they were from the same animal).



My initial thought was corvid pellet, but reading up in the Bang and Dahlstrom tracks and signs book, I concluded they were gull. Saying that, I didn't smell it, so couldn't comment on the odour!

Loz

[vole-woman]

Yes, it's the same ingredients. Different colour, though.

[daver]

We found some almost identical one's at Venus Pool just south of Shrewsbury and we went with fox or badger. I think the reason so little is left is - if it's like ours - they're a veritable feast for slugs which seem to gorge on what ever's left round the stones.