Daylight encounter with a hungry pine marten

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/27/daylight-encounter-with-a-hungry-pine-marten

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Mid-afternoon, and I watched the pine marten hunting a woodland bank, sniffing and listening for prey such as voles. Above it was ripening the rich crop of rowan berries that would augment its diet in late autumn.

It must have been hungry to be out hunting at this time of day, as pine martens are normally nocturnal. No doubt the poor weather of late had not helped. However, this one – a female, judging from its size – was in good condition, graceful and agile, with its slender body and long, bushy tail. Its rich chocolate fur looked luxuriant and it was easy to see why it was prized in the middle ages as a trimming for robes of state.

This female also had a very large throat patch, or bib, which was, unusually, almost apricot in colour. The bib varies from individual to individual – which often helps to identify them – and is sometimes almost absent.

At one time their food would have been largely invertebrates, small mammals and birds, but the pine marten’s recent expansion in range and numbers has changed the emphasis. There have been more raids on domestic poultry and on young pheasants, for instance, and predation on the ground-nesting and very rare capercaillie is an increasingly serious problem in some areas.

Because pine martens have been taking over nest boxes intended for such birds as barn owls and goldeneye ducks, the Vincent Wildlife Trust has now designed special den boxes for them. These purpose-built homes were an integral part of the trust’s first translocation of these captivating carnivores from the Scottish Highlands to mid-Wales last year.

Because of its size Martes martes is often known as the marten cat, and the young are called kits, kittens or cubs. However, I can find no specific names for the adult male and female. It is also known as the sweet mart, in contrast to the foul mart or polecat, and the Gaelic name is taghan. Best of all is the collective noun for these elusive creatures: a richness of martens.

Jonathan Elphick gives this year’s William Condry memorial lecture (thecondrylecture.co.uk) on the Birds of North Wales at Tabernacle/MoMA, Machynlleth, 1 October, 7pm for 7.30. £5 including refreshments (no need to book)