Competition...are you a poo guru?

[British Red]

I was hunting for an elusive new neighbour today and scouring for sign.

During my travels I found and photogpraphed some interesting droppings. I'm fairly sure of them (although I have of course been wrong before)

I thought it might be a bit of fun to throw them open for ID by way of a fun challenge. No prizes other than the opportunity to put "poo guru" in your signature

As context these were all found in a lightly wooded glade on the farm we live on which is high on the South Downs.

I've tried to leave enough grass and foliage in the shots to give a sense of size and scale


Heres the first

I cut this one open so you can see contents better.....It was hard and compressed

Heres the second - smaller than the first. This one could be one of two creatures but I'm fairly sure I know which from the area

The last, and the largest. I hope and believe this to be the sign of my new neigbour who I have heard and identified from sound, but sadly I have not yet seen

The "overview"

and a close up

So (in best Lloyd Grossman voice)....who poos in a shape like this?

Red

 

[sandbender]

I'll stick my neck out and say that the bottom one is a fox, the other two I don't know but would probably agree with Gailainne, no.2 is an owl pellet, my copy of 'Animal Tracks and Signs' would suggest a tawny rather than barn owl.

 

[Gailainne]

Not sure on the top one

I think the second is an Owl pellet, Tawny or Barn ?

Bottom looks like Fox.

Stephen

 

[British Red]

Certainly three creatures as you spotted - although interestingly the three sets of droppings were within a 20' radius of each other!

I did think "little owl" for the middle one initially ...but reconsidered on closer look

Red

 

[g4ghb]

And this is the first pics you show from your new camera!? - from this point on they can only improve I guess as I reckon these pics are poo mate!

 

[British Red]

They are as it happens

 

[sandbender]

A bump for this, go on BR put us out of our misery

 

[British Red]

oops - yep I forgot

Okay, now I'm no real tracker (although I'm trying to educate myself) so what I'm posting here is heavily supplemented by my knowledge of the terrain and the creatures I have observed there plus kill sites etc.

The top one I am 100% confident - its buzzard

I have seen many buzzard hunt and nest in this area. The droppings are hard.no bones a couple of inches long and cylindical and were under a tree - classic buzzard.

Next one looks like owl but is slightly too grey and bird poo like fo me. Definitely some bone and fur though. I believe it to be magpie - probably carrion eating.

Bottom one is winter fox. Why winter? Well in summer and autumn foxes round here at least eat berries and the droppings are darker, but in winter there is an almost entirely carnivorous diet so the fecal matter is almost entirely fur, feather and bone and goes grey. The "rope twist" is classic fox shape.

So, my seen reading is an area of activity with fox as apex predator. The corvids (crow family) are feeding on the carcas - hence the magpie droppings. I've wintessed magpie (and lets face it that "football rattle" call is very distinct) in the area. Buzzard aren't averse to some dead meat or may also be dropping on bunny from the branches as I have watched the lazy things do.

Certainly fits the pattern of droppings and accounts for three species in one locale.

I do enoy the "detective" aspect of tracking and trying to piece together patterns of activity. I'm fairly confident on this one but am very willing to have my identifications challenged - I'm still very much the "greenhorn"

If people enjoy these things Im happy to post some more....kills, scat, tracks etc.

Red

 

[sandbender]

...If people enjoy these things Im happy to post some more....kills, scat, tracks etc.

Red

Yes, please do

I'd never have identified the Magpie.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Bottom one is winter fox. Why winter? Well in summer and autumn foxes round here at least eat berries and the droppings are darker, but in winter there is an almost entirely carnivorous diet so the fecal matter is almost entirely fur, feather and bone and goes grey. The "rope twist" is classic fox shape.


Red

Seasonal scat.

That's a good point for everyone to note.