Stoat, Weasel or Mink ?

[Scots_Charles_River]

Whilst out driving to Boness this morning I spotted a Weasel or Mink running across the rd in front of me from a woodland to BP, v large petro-chemical plant. There is a tidal river/stream there.

I've looked at wikipedia and I think it was a mink based on the pictures there.

Woud I be right ? It had a longer thinner body than the pix of the stoat and a def. black long tail 3/4 the lentgh of it's body.

Nick

 

[British Red]

Whilst out driving to Boness this morning I spotted a Weasel or Mink running across the rd in front of me from a woodland to BP, v large petro-chemical plant. There is a tidal river/stream there.

I've looked at wikipedia and I think it was a mink based on the pictures there.

Woud I be right ? It had a longer thinner body than the pix of the stoat and a def. black long tail 3/4 the lentgh of it's body.

Nick

Nick,

A mink is both longer and far more muscular than a stoat. It has dark brown fur and a relatively short tail. Its just possible what you saw was an otter which has a longer tail and is bigger still.

Given your description and location, its possible it was a true polecat - its a close match to your description

Red

I know size on a fast moving creature is hard to judge but a stoat is 12"-18", a mink 18" to 24" an otter much larger - up to 3' long

HTH Red

 

[Gailainne]

There are weasels in the tank farm at grangemouth, I havent seen them but the guys on-site have, never heard of otters or mink in the area, doesnt mean they arent there tho, I'll ask around on monday.

Stephen

 

[Toddy]

Think back, how did it move?
The way it moves is sometimes more of a giveaway than the size when you have to judge fast or from a distance,
I think of the weasels that I see wriggling through my garden as like fast, furry snakes. Mink down by the Clyde as sleek wee bullies; the otter as a kind of long, happy, cat that likes a bath; and the rare polecat I've seen as a bandit out for mischief.
Makes sense to me

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

I know size on a fast moving creature is hard to judge but a stoat is 12"-18", a mink 18" to 24" an otter much larger - up to 3' long

HTH Red

Cool.

Nick

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Think back, how did it move?
The way it moves is sometimes more of a giveaway than the size when you have to judge fast or from a distance,
I think of the weasels that I see wriggling through my garden as like fast, furry snakes. Mink down by the Clyde as sleek wee bullies; the otter as a kind of long, happy, cat that likes a bath; and the rare polecat I've seen as a bandit out for mischief.
Makes sense to me

Cheers,
Toddy

It was very flat with the tail in line with the body. The tail was darker than the body. There is non stop farmland and the avon river for about a mile from where it came into the rd. So a river habitat ?

Nick

PS also spotted a large bird of prey, long wingspan, tawny coloured wings with 4-6 white wing feather tips. This was above the crags in Glencroe on the back of the Cobbler, today. Very eerie sounding calls. It was soaring circular fashion.

 

[Hunter_zero]

Whilst out driving to Boness this morning I spotted a Weasel or Mink running across the rd in front of me from a woodland to BP, v large petro-chemical plant. There is a tidal river/stream there.

I've looked at wikipedia and I think it was a mink based on the pictures there.

Woud I be right ? It had a longer thinner body than the pix of the stoat and a def. black long tail 3/4 the lentgh of it's body.

Nick

I spotted a weasel last night whilst driving back from Tescos.

Small, foxy red with a white under belly. Small, little bigger than a perceived mouse if you like. Mink and much darker, brown to black to look at. Bigger as well.

John

 

[Burnt Ash]

PS also spotted a large bird of prey, long wingspan, tawny coloured wings with 4-6 white wing feather tips. This was above the crags in Glencroe on the back of the Cobbler, today. Very eerie sounding calls. It was soaring circular fashion.

Almost certainly a common buzzard (Buteo buteo). Golden eagles are usually silent and buzzards unusually vocal for a bird of prey, especially in spring. Females are bigger and heavier than males, but judging the size of raptors is always difficult.

Burnt Ash

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

It was 400-500yds away and it was not a buzzard as it was huge.
Very similar or this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:GoldenEagle3.jpg

Brown under wings with 4-5 white feather tips shaped like fingers.

Buzzards are smaller and common round here.http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Buteo_buteo_flying.jpg

Nick

 

[Thrym]

Perhaps it was Red Kite? This is the only bird of prey in britain which is larger than a buzzard and fits in with your description, thats if it wasnt an eagle. Go check out some picks of all the suspect species.
Josh