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Question for the wildlife experts



edna krabappel

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
47,228
Hey: it beats talking about the Albion right now.

I was just driving home, down a country lane somewhere round Hurstpierpoint, when a small, unidentified furry creature ran out of the hedgerow and dashed across the road into the undergrowth. For a split second, I thought it was a small squirrel, as it was about the right size, but then it dawned on me that this thing was reddish-brown in colour, and as far as I know, there ain't any red squirrels around these parts.

So what was it? It wasn't a rat (too long in the body/tail), or a mouse (too big) or a vole, shrew or anything of that ilk. Could it have been a weasel or a stoat maybe? Never seen either in the flesh so I've no idea how big they are, nor do I have a clue as to whether they're common (or even exist) in West Sussex.

Thanks in anticipation, and no, I didn't run it over :thumbsup:
 












glasfryn

cleaning up cat sick
Nov 29, 2005
20,261
somewhere in Eastbourne
they move very fast
weasel would be my bet
 


wellquickwoody

Many More Voting Years
NSC Patreon
Aug 10, 2007
13,585
Melbourne
Weasel, stoat, ferret? I have seen at least one of these in Sussex, but have no clue how to tell them apart.

Was it smiling happily as it ran around? Could it be CMS?
 








edna krabappel

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
47,228


edna krabappel

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
47,228
Well, there you go. I reckon from that link above it would have been a weasel.

Thanks, folks :) I had no idea we even had these things in leafy Mid Sussex. I'm quite inordinately thrilled to have seen it actually!
 




edna krabappel

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
47,228




The Oldman

I like the Hat
NSC Patreon
Jul 12, 2003
7,102
In the shadow of Seaford Head
On my walks over Seaford Head I usually see a stoat about 6 times in a year. One memorable moment was watching a big mother rabbit chasing a stoat away from her young. The stoat was screaming with fear as it ran for its life! Like Edna I have seen them run out into the road when in the car and boy do they run. Much faster than say a rat.
 




edna krabappel

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
47,228
On my walks over Seaford Head I usually see a stoat about 6 times in a year. One memorable moment was watching a big mother rabbit chasing a stoat away from her young. The stoat was screaming with fear as it ran for its life! Like Edna I have seen them run out into the road when in the car and boy do they run. Much faster than say a rat.

Honestly, I've never seen one before, hence my confusion as to whether they actually lived round these parts. It was like greased lightning, just shot over the road in the sunshine, and scarpered into the hedgerow. I'm genuinely excited about it :lolol:

I think my getting excited about wildlife sightings is a sign of getting old, by the way. I was working the other day when I spotted an absolutely huge buzzard sat on a fencepost around the Haywards Heath ring road. I've seen plenty in the air, but never one that big, or that close up. It must have been almost a foot tall. I made my colleague turn the car around twice so we could keep coming back and admiring it :)
 


Dr Q

Well-known member
Jul 29, 2004
1,788
Ilkley
Its simple:

A Weasel is Weasily Identifiable, whilst a Stoat is Stoatally different.

(someone had to say it:))
 








Prince Monolulu

Everything in Moderation
Oct 2, 2013
10,201
The Race Hill
A relation to the above, kid in our class at Balfour in 70s used to bring his polecat in to school on a lead. Vicious little beggar.
 


aberllefenni

Active member
Jan 15, 2009
458
I had a similar sighting on the back roads of Herefordshire a couple of years ago. What I initially thought was a young red squirrel was, on reflection, probably a weasel or stoat. The last time I saw a red squirrel was in Ashdown Forest in the early 70's.
 



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