Lisa G Saw • August 6, 2023

Stoatally Fantastic

On the drive home from my holiday on the Isle of Mull, I had an overnight stop near WWT Martin Mere in Lancashire. It meant my friend and I could visit the reserve the following morning for a couple of hours before being couped up in the car again for the rest of the day. Since the car was filled with all our luggage and camera equipment, one of us stayed by the vehicle whilst the other explored. The plan was to swap over and then be on our way again. My friend went walkabout first. It gave me a great opportunity to jot down some notes for my blog about the holiday. Just over an hour later, she returned looking unethusiastic. She hadn't seen a great deal from the few hides she'd visited. It was a bit disappointing to hear. Then she casually mentioned seeing what might have been a Stoat. My mood suddenly picked up and my interest was piqued. This was something to be excited about! Since she wasn't 100% sure, we had a look at the photos she'd taken. Sure enough, the characteristic black tail confirmed it had been a Stoat. She was now much more animated and mentioned having had two quite good sightings. She then explained whereabouts she'd been, so I could head there and hopefully see it for myself. She felt sure I'd have a good chance because it seemed to be moving about quite a bit, but within the one area.


Off I set, full of eagerness. I didn't have any interest in visiting the hides. I just wanted to see the Stoat. My previous few sightings were either too fleeting to appreciate or photograph, or in really bad light and too far away. The opportunity to see one in daylight, relatively close, was so exciting. Maybe, I'd finally have a decent Stoat photograph. I walked swiftly along the path towards the place that sh'ed described, then slowed down to a snails pace as I neared it. I didn't see anything. I stood around waiting for a little bit, but still no joy. Rather than stay put, I continued to amble along to the end hide, all the while still hoping I'd be lucky on my way back. There was a lovely sunny spot with about six different species of butterfly all in close proximity to each other. As much as I love seeing butterflies, I didn't linger on this occasion. After taking a few photos, I headed back to the Stoat zone.


Ever so slowly, I made my way along the path, trying to be as quiet as possible. My camera was cradled in my arms, ready for any action. I'd learned from past experience how lightening quick Stoats can be - gone in a flash! I didn't want to miss my opportunity to photograph one, yet again.


Suddenly, up ahead of me at least 10m or more, I saw a small creature dart across the path. It disappeared out of sight into the vegetation on the other side. Moments later, it reappeared and ran further up that side and then disappeared again. Then finally, it scamptered back across the path. I felt sure it was the Stoat. It's behaviour suggested it might come back again, so I strolled up to where it had been. Fortunately, there was a small clearing to one side of the path and rather conveniently, a large stone for me to sit on. I sat down and waited quietly, hoping it would return.


My patience was rewarded. A female bounded along the footpath right in front of me, hardly 3m away, with a little youngster hot on her heels. Wow! Two! I held my breath in sheer delight and amazement. I never dreamed I'd see two Stoats together. They both stopped and looked at me, whilst I took some photos. (You can really appreciate the difference in size and colour between the kit (left) and the adult (right).)

The kit then ran behind its mother. (I love how you can see the extra pair of ears behind the mum in the photo.) Now, much closer together, they both stared at me. It would've made for a lovely photo. But, just as I was about to capture the moment, they turned their heads. Even better! It was a beautiful fleeting moment. Within seconds, they retreated into the cover of the ivy.


They so easily could've headed up and over the bank, obscured from view. That would've been the end of my encounter. But, my luck wasn't over just yet.

The kit then ran behind its mother. (I love how you can see the extra pair of ears behind the mum in the photo.) Now, much closer together, they both stared at me. It would've made for a lovely photo. But, just as I was about to capture the moment, they turned their heads. Even better! It was a beautiful fleeting moment. Within seconds, they retreated into the cover of the ivy.


They so easily could've headed up and over the bank, obscured from view. That would've been the end of my encounter. But, my luck wasn't over just yet.

The mum reappeared shortly after, still aware of my presence, looking directly at me. After a moments pause, she scampered off down the path, clearly on a mission. Probably to find some food for the kit she was leaving behind. It was hiding in the undergrowth. Every now and then, I could see the ivy twitch and move. The kit certainly wasn't sitting still. Suddenly, it was fully visible again at the edge of the path. With its nose close to the ground, it ventured further out away from cover.

Gradually, the kit inched over in my direction, and began to explore the logs and vegetation on my side of the path. It was less than 2m from me. The little one simply ignored my presence, unthreatened. I sat still, enjoying this very special moment. What a privilege! I was so thrilled. Mesmerised, I watched as the youngster continue to explore its surroundings, popping its head up through the ivy occasionally, before it eventually did retreat to the other side of the path again and over the bank. It was simply gorgeous!

The mum briefly appeared shortly after, but with something in her mouth - a chick of some description - taken from a nest nearby. It was sad to see, but such is nature and the fight for survival. She had a hungry mouth to feed. With them both out of sight, I wasn’t sure if they would reappear. I waited longer - ever hopeful. The minutes passed by and I started to doubt they would be back. Standing up to stretch my legs, I decided to walk a little along the path, but not too far away. I then turned around and ambled back again.


Just as I neared the clearing where I'd been sitting before, suddenly, from around the corner, five or six Stoats came bounding towards me along the side of the path. I scarcely had time to count. But as soon as they saw me, the adult darted into the ivy again, quickly followed by her offspring. Evidently, she had more than one mouth to feed! It all happened so quickly, I didn’t even get a photo. It was disappointing. But how amazing to see a family of Stoats! I didn't think the day could get any better.


I figured she'd been to collect the kits from their hiding place, now that she had some food for them. If they were about to feed, I wasn't convinced I'd see any of them again. But, I continued to linger on the path, just in case. I still had some time before I needed to head back to the car. The minutes slipped by slowly. There was no more movement. After a little while, a family passed me and shortly after, a little girl ran down the path that was on the other side of the bank. It felt like a sign. I hadn't realised there was a path there. I thought either I was supposed to look on that side, or it was just possible her presence might've disturbed them. Perhaps they'd reappear on my side again. I waited, but nothing happened. Eventually, I gave up and walked around the corner to find the access to this slightly hidden path. It was darker and overshadowed by the trees. Only small pockets of dappled light reached the ground.

Up ahead of me was someone else with a camera and I knew he'd also spotted the Stoats. With a bit of gesturing, we communicated in silence. He indicated where they were hiding. Quietly, I edged a bit closer, but still mindful to keep some distance, ever hopeful they would all re-emmerge.


Suddenly, mum reappeared briefly, and then headed off presumably in search of more food. With so many mouths to feed, it would be a relentless job for her until they were able to fend for themselves. Whilst she was off trying to provide for her kits, they started to emerge on the path in front of us, first staying close to the edge of the vegetation, but gradually becoming bolder.

Up ahead of me was someone else with a camera and I knew he'd also spotted the Stoats. With a bit of gesturing, we communicated in silence. He indicated where they were hiding. Quietly, I edged a bit closer, but still mindful to keep some distance, ever hopeful they would all re-emmerge.


Suddenly, mum reappeared briefly, and then headed off presumably in search of more food. With so many mouths to feed, it would be a relentless job for her until they were able to fend for themselves.


Whilst she was off trying to provide for her kits, they started to emerge on the path in front of us, first staying close to the edge of the vegetation, but gradually becoming bolder.

It was fascinating to watch their behaviour. One kit had wondered off much further than the path and came bounding back down the bank with what I thought was another chick of some description in its mouth. In fact, I'd even thought it was the mum. It moved so quickly. It was only when I saw the photos afterwards that I realised it had only been moss and one of the kits. Perhaps it was helping to build a new nest for the day.


With poor light and their fast speed, it was a challenge to capture good photos that weren't too grainy (when using a high ISO). I kept willing them to move into the dappled light, and occasionally they did, but not often! Stoats certainly aren't the easiest of subjects to photograph!

There were two in particular that were more adventurous and play fighting. Gradually they came much closer to my position and both of them scrambled up a tree stump near me. I was amazed by how unperturbed they were by our presence. They were so curious. It was wonderful to witness. I was truly captivated by them.

I only ever saw three kits at any one time. It was impossible to tell them apart, so it may have not been the same three individuals I saw throughout the encounter.

Eventually, one of the kits came out into the open with a Moorhen chick (I think) hanging limply from its jaws. It stopped in the light, just as I'd been hoping for. I clicked the shutter button. At last, the shot I wanted. Well, perhaps I'd prefer not to have had another creature in the kit's mouth, but such is life. I was happy with the photo, even though I knew it would never make it onto one of my calendars! Soon after, they all disappeared into the ivy at the base of a tree. I wasn't sure if I'd see them again. I figured they might've been resting. It definitely went quiet for a while.

 

It was good timing really, as I needed to get back to the car. I felt so bad my friend had missed it all. Although we were supposed to be heading off, I felt she should have the opportunity see them for herself. What did it really matter if we were a few hours later home that evening? When you have such a golden opportunity like that one, you shouldn't really walk away. Unfortunately, despite staying longer, and both of us having another stab at watching the Stoats, neither of us saw anything more.


I have to say, it was extremely difficult to tear myself away. But, what a glorious 45 minutes I'd experienced. What a priviledge. I was totally enraptured by the Stoat family. I'd only hoped for a solitary decent photo in daylight. I never dreamed I'd have such an amazing encounter. It was so much more valuable and memorable than simply obtaining a good photo. It was fabulous. Stoatally fantastic!

By Lisa G Saw June 30, 2025
In the first part of this blog post - Swallowtails in Norfolk - I wrote about our first two days spent mostly at Strumpshaw Fen, where I successfully saw my first ever Swallowtail butterfly. Following this, we had two more days exploring the area. I still hoped I'd see more of this beautiful native species at some of the other reserves. DAY 3 The forecast for this day wasn't great, but at least dry. There wouldn't be much chance of any sunshine until the afternoon, when it would warm up a bit. So, we decided to head to Buxton Heath, on the other side of Norwich. Bob knew it was a good site for the Silver-studded Blue butterfly. It's a species we have in just two locations within Sussex - both of which we've been to. It's a species that thrives on heathland and can be found in good numbers in the right habitat if it's managed well - with grazing or periodic burning in patches. It turned out the forecast wasn't very accurate. When we arrived, it was already brightening up and our chance of finding roosting butterflies disappeared very quickly. However, it was lovely exploring somewhere new and aside from one other couple and a man working there, we didn't see anyone else for the three hours we were there. We left the car park and headed towards the northern corner of the heath first and in next to no time, Bob spotted one flying. I stopped and looked down and saw there was another right beside me. I used my bins to take a closer look and suddenly noticed there were ants crawling around it. Instantly, I knew this was something special. The butterfly had only just emerged. I quickly took some photos but was having real issues with my camera. I was so disappointed not to get any good photos. The butterfly is out of focus but the ant is sharp!!! Hmmm! Not what I was going for! This close relationship with ants occurs with a few of the blue species of butterfly, such as the Large Blue, Adonis Blue and Chalkhill Blue. It's the first time I've ever seen the ants in attendance of a new emerged butterfly, so I was thrilled at least to have seen it.
Swallowtail
By Lisa G Saw June 29, 2025
When Bob and I returned from Kent, having just seen the Heath Fritillary , we looked at the weather for the following week and we saw that it was looking very changeable every day, with cool windy and/or wet weather forecast. The Swallowtail butterfly ( Papilio machaon ) is our largest native species found in the UK and Bob informed me they won't be flying if the conditions aren't good. They like the warmth! Now was not a good time for our hot spell to be over! With only one more week of my break from teaching left, we had little choice but to arrange our visit for then, regardless of the weather. I booked some accommodation for us and we figured that if we went for more than a couple of days, we were bound to have at least one fairly decent opportunity to see the final species on my UK list that I'd not seen before. DAY 1 As usual for us, we set off fairly early in the morning since we had over a three-hour drive ahead of us. The plan was to stop at Weeting Heath Nature Reserve, just inside the Norfolk border, so we could break up the drive and enjoy some time out in nature. The main purpose was to see the Stone Curlew that breed at this site ( Burhinus oedicnemus ). They're a rare summer visitor to the UK and I'd not heard of this species before. They're not in any way related to the Curlew ( Numenius arquata ), which I have seen before - though they are also quite rare and endangered. Their name relates to their similar call. We sat in two different hides during the course of the late morning and early afternoon and for quite some time we didn't think we were going to get lucky and see the Stone Curlew - though we did see a couple of Curlews. At one point I nipped back to the car, and of course that was when Bob saw one! It was on the far side of the field we were overlooking, but where the ground dipped lower out of sight. He saw it just as I was returning to the hide. So, I quickly sat down and looked for it, but I didn't get a chance to properly see it. We decided to stay a bit longer, and so this time Bob left the hide to fetch our lunch, and that was when the Stone Curlew reappeared. It even flew a short distance, quite low, as it apparently had a nest nearby and it wasn't happy about the Rooks that were too close for comfort.  Don't hold your breath - the photo is pants! The bird was so far away and it was more of a record shot. However, I did enjoy watching it through my binoculars.
By Lisa G Saw June 22, 2025
When Bob and I returned from our Isle of Wight trip to see the Glanville Fritillary for the first time, I was eager for the next challenge - seeing the Heath Fritillary butterfly in Kent. However, the weather wasn't quite ideal and I had to sit tight for another week before there was a good opportunity for us to head over for the day. Thankfully, it was a Friday, which meant there would be fewer people around, which we both prefer as it's more peaceful. It was still very early in the flight season with only a few sightings having been posted on social media, and this meant we might have a good chance of seeing some fresh butterflies, which is always lovely when they look pristine and fresh. Thankfully, we both don't mind the early starts when there is a good reason for it and it wasn't too ridiculously early on this occasion! It took us just over two hours to reach East Blean Woods car park, after a few detours and delays. We arrived just after 9am and only a few other vehicles were parked there. It was still slightly cool and cloudy, which meant the butterflies wouldn't be too active yet. This was ideal for us, so we could take plenty of photos. When we began the walk, I felt fairly oprtimistic we'd see some during the day, but I was prepared that we might need to look at various different sites in the area. I didn't expect that within 5 minutes of leaving the car park and having only walked 50 metres, I would spot the first one of the day, roosting on a bracken fern in the cool shade of the woods. It was a lovely fresh specimen and a wonderful start to the day. Within moments of me spotting this one, Bob saw another one roosting nearby. Fabulous!
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