Pine martin scat

[Tracey.A]

Hi,

I'm a new member, who hasn't quite worked out how to use this site properly. Anyway, last weekend I was walking along the footpath at Creag Meagaidh NNR and I found some pine martin scat on a boulder along the path and some more on another boulder further along. I was thrilled to bits! Although I've not been lucky enough to spot one of these elusive creatures, I'm always hopeful that one day...... It's a beautiful walk, with lots of interesting flora. Apparently they have recently discovered Water Voles on the reserve, which is brilliant news!

Ben Lawyers is a great mountain as well and the last time I was up it a couple of years ago I was lucky enough to see a female Ring ouzel and a pair of ptarmigan. The flora is pretty amazing too!

Tracey

Pine Marten | Wild About Britain

[mh68]

Cracking find Tracey,well done, and great news about the Water Voles. Welcome to the forums

Mark H

[paulthomas]

Pine Martin scat can be difficult to positively identify. Professionals involved such work are increasingly taking advantage of DNA analysis. We have a small population of Pine Martins here in Staffordshire and attempt to monitor them using this technique. There was also a single positive scat corrected in Wales recently which is, I'm told, the first positive evidence of Pine Martins there in over 50 years.

[Tracey.A]

Hi Paul,

Creag Meagaidh is a national nature reserve in Scotland, which does have pine martins, although they are only spotted occasionally. I based my judgement on size, shape, smell and where the scats were placed. It is possible I could have got it wrong, but my gut feeling says it was a pine martin scat. However if the experts are sending samples away to be annalysed then perhaps I was a little presumptious. You know I still think it was a pine martin scat

Brilliant news about the scat they found in Wales!!! I didn't know about it, which is why this is such a great forum. I don't pretend to be an expert, but I am an enthusiastic amateur and talking to like minded people is such a wonderful experience and hopefully I will learn such a lot from the people who use this site.

Thanks for your reply Paul.

All the best

Tracey

[vole-woman]

Is that the one which is supposed to smell of violets? Or is that another mustelid? I'd love to see a photo, if you get one, Tracey.

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by paulthomas

Pine Martin scat can be difficult to positively identify. Professionals involved such work are increasingly taking advantage of DNA analysis. We have a small population of Pine Martins here in Staffordshire and attempt to monitor them using this technique. There was also a single positive scat corrected in Wales recently which is, I'm told, the first positive evidence of Pine Martins there in over 50 years.

Pine Martens in Staffs? That's a new one on me. Lets hope they spread north to Lancashire!

Regards, Chris

[mh68]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

Is that the one which is supposed to smell of violets? Or is that another mustelid? I'd love to see a photo, if you get one, Tracey.

I think youre thinking of Otter spraint Kate.

Mark H

[vole-woman]

I thought that was jasmine tea?

[mh68]

I`ve never smelt jasmine tea so wouldnt know but Otter spraint is often described as smelling of violets. To me it smells more like lavender..

Mark H

[Coley]

Hi Tracy A, last weekend I saw a young family of pinemartens playing around on a steep enbankment alongide a road near Basingstoke. They where so cute, as we drove past I could see their faces in the burrow entrance just before they legged it. Such a wonderfull experience.

[vole-woman]

Scotland: Mad as a February hare - Telegraph

I didn't dream it!

[mh68]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

Scotland: Mad as a February hare - Telegraph

I didn't dream it!

I`ll shurrup I think

Not knowing much about Pine Martens and their signs I had no idea their scat was sweet smelling in the same way as Otters. Thanks for that Kate, learnt summat new

Mark H

[vole-woman]

It's only something I read - I've no field experience of Pine Martens (though I've crumbled many an Otter spraint in my time, lol).

[paulthomas]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

Pine Martens in Staffs? That's a new one on me.

Mostly in the north of the county which is characterised by steep heavily-wooded valleys. There is the odd record from Cannock Chase too.

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

Lets hope they spread north to Lancashire!

Unlikely. I don't think there's any suitable corridors for them move up. But who's to say you don't have some too? Up around the Lakes would be the most likely place I think. Try asking your county recorder for mammals.

[mh68]

Originally Posted by paulthomas

Mostly in the north of the county which is characterised by steep heavily-wooded valleys. There is the odd record from Cannock Chase too.



Unlikely. I don't think there's any suitable corridors for them move up. But who's to say you don't have some too? Up around the Lakes would be the most likely place I think. Try asking your county recorder for mammals.

I may be wrong but i`m sure theyve been recorded around the Bassenthwaite area of the Lakes recently??

Mark H

[rlchew]

I can safely say that I have never seen Pine Marten poo before but I have been fortunate to see the provider on quite a few occasions in the Scottish Highlands.

In fact, I have just noticed that the photo of the Pine Marten here is one of my own .

Pine Marten | Wild About Britain

By the way, welcome to WAB Tracey.

Richard

[vole-woman]

That's cool, Richard!

[Rob_D]

I thought Otter scat that was supposed to smell like Jasmine tea, but I have only smelled the former and not the latter so I can't compare!

Pine Martin scat is supposed to smell sweet when fresh - they were apparently known as "Sweet Mart" in Northern England. Polecat were called "Foul Mart" so I imagine that gives some clue as to the smell of their scat!

Very interesting that Pine Martin are hanging on in Northern England, I hope they are getting big efforts to help them, but I suspect not enough.

There's some good information from the VWT website http://www.vwt.org.uk/publications/downloads.php

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by Coley

Hi Tracy A, last weekend I saw a young family of pinemartens playing around on a steep enbankment alongide a road near Basingstoke. They where so cute, as we drove past I could see their faces in the burrow entrance just before they legged it. Such a wonderfull experience.

Pine Martens near Basingstoke? I don't want to be a prophet of doom, but I'm fairly sure they don't occur so far down south. Were they Stoats perhaps?
Re the species in the north of England, they do occur in Grizedale Forest in the Lakes, the wooded areas of the North York Moors and are rumoured to occur in parts of the northern Peak District. A few years ago, a decomposed specimen was discovered near Chorley (Lancs), but it was suspected that the corpse was transported there in a consignment of Scottish timber.

Regards, Chris

[Tracey.A]

Thanks Richard, I think you are so lucky to have seen Pine Martens! The highlands of Scotland are good places to find them and the scenery is beautiful - midges are a pain though! I've posted some photos of the scat I found, don't know where, but they're somewhere on this site. I'm useless at transferring photos. I hope they are Pine Marten scats, I'm pretty sure they are.

Tracey

[highlander2004]

Hi Tracey,

like you I am a new member and live in the highlands of Scotland where we have Otters and Pine Martens which I see fairly frequently. Pine Marten scats do usually smell quite sweet whereas Otters tend to smell quite strongly of fish. If you have a strong stomach you might want to investigate the contents and see what had been eaten!

Nick

[Tracey.A]

Hi Nick,

lucky you, living in the highlands! I haven't seen an Otter or a pine martin, but I have found Otter spraint. I vol with SNH and we were carrying out a Water Vole survey, we didn't see any Water Voles, but we did find signs that they were present in some of the areas we surveyed. Anyway we found foot prints and an Otter spraint, yep I had a good sniff and it has a very oily smell, but with another smell that is unlike anything I've ever smelled before. It's a smell that you would recognise straight away if you came accross it again. The pine martin scat had a slightly musky smell, but was very pleasant. I've placed photographs of the pine martin scat on this site.

Do you volunteer with any wildlife organisations?

Tracey

[highlander2004]

Hi Tracey,

not at the moment probably due to the remoteness of the area. I used to be heavily involved with the Lancashire Badger Group when I was in England and held the postion of Chairman for a couple of years. There are Badgers in the area but no great setts due to a lack of suitable feeding areas and they do not suffer the persecution that still happens today in parts of Lancashire. I do a lot of exploring locally and visit favourite patches quite regularly. How about yourself?

Nick

[Coley]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

Pine Martens near Basingstoke? I don't want to be a prophet of doom, but I'm fairly sure they don't occur so far down south. Were they Stoats perhaps?
Re the species in the north of England, they do occur in Grizedale Forest in the Lakes, the wooded areas of the North York Moors and are rumoured to occur in parts of the northern Peak District. A few years ago, a decomposed specimen was discovered near Chorley (Lancs), but it was suspected that the corpse was transported there in a consignment of Scottish timber.

Regards, Chris

Yeah you were right, on further searches I came up with this http://www.droitwichferretwelfare.co...in%20grass.JPG
Now that is what we saw. A picture with one of them on it with the title Pine Marten is what I had seen when looking for Id before.
Thanks Chris

[ChrisJB]