Stoat in a hurry

[JoulesH]

Wondered what on earth was happening for a few seconds this morning.... driving through one of our grass fields and noticed a furry animal floundering on the ground in the ruts on the track. Slowed down and on closer inspection it was a stoat trying to drag half a rabbit carcase and as it was catching in the ruts it made the rabbit look like it was kicking. It abandoned it as I got closer and shot into the long grass. It was the half that I made made my dog give up as he tried to swallow it whole after finding it the previous day (!). Saw stoat last year too - disappeared into our garden wall just outside the kitchen window. I also disturbed a mallard with 5 fresh ducklings later on in the same field later today so I hope she's got them to the river by now.

[Ann2]

Lucky you, I don't see many stoats and the ones I do see don't hang around for long.

Yes dogs have some delightful habits! I was camping at my favourite site in Wales a few years ago and realised that the thousands of rabbits usually present had vanished. The farmer had obviously killed them as my old patterdale terrier kept finding carcasses in the hedge and had to be persuaded to drop them.

Sadly my dog had to be put to sleep three weeks later as he suddenly developed kidney problems. I hope it wasn't related to something he ingested on that holiday.

Ann

[JoulesH]

We've got a lot of myxy around in the rabbits at present - dog has caught several and Ive put them out of their misery. We're still over - run with the damn things so I'm hoping the buzzards, foxes and stoats keep up the good work!