Stoat In The Garden

[Polly1958]

Is this rare?We haven't seen it this week,but three times in as many weeks it has been sniffing around and on the bird table.I thought it might have smelt our rabbits and that was the attraction.I wonder if he's turned white with all the snow we have!

[woofgang]

depends on where you live. I live in the New Forest and have never ever seen one. I believe they are commoner in Scotland.

[Polly1958]

We're in North Yorks woofgang.Not any large forests nearby.We have open fields at the back of us and small copse beyond that.

[woofgang]

not uncommon in Yorkshire apparently
http://www.ywt.org.uk/species/stoat

[plowter]

We get white stoats as far south as Stirling.
You can 'call' stoats by kissing the back of your hand very loudly - sounds like a rabbit in distress and they can't resist that.

[wildwood]

Yes, I think you live high enough for the stoats to turn white in the winter, they are then even harder to spot.

[wildwood]

^ sorry for duplicate plowter, had do a loo stop midway through a sentence and your post wasn't there before. Whatever, I feel a lot better now ☺

[tenrec]

I thought all stoats turned white in winter, am I wrong?

[Maydup]

I've seen a stout in our garden in Norfolk just the once. We do have wild rabbits in the garden too and we watched it attack and kill one. It was amazingly violent but an incredible feat on the part of the stout.

[askyourgran]

I thought stoats turned white in winter, ermine is from winter stoats i think. They can be vicious little creatures.

[ladybirder]

I used to live in North Yorkshire (Dales) polly and stoats were a common sight for me. They could often be seen bobbing in and out of the dry stone wall at the bottom of my garden with grassland behind, so I don't think it would be unusual for you to see them, unless you live in the middle of town:-) Enjoy, they are great fun to watch.

[RATTER15]

and the difference between a stoat and a weasel?


A weasel is weasely recognised because stoat is stoatally different!


we sometimes see a stoat crossing the lane we live in, I love them.

[Polly1958]

Yes they are ladybirder,i'm just worried about the rabbits we adopted from next door.Their run has quite open wire,not that they,ve been out in it much in this snow,but we will make sure they're safe.

[Mick-Talbot]

Seen a stoat on 4 separate occasions.
Once in my garden, I was hoping he liked it and would stay but he didn't

[ladybirder]

Yes I would be worried about my rabbits as well polly:-(

Black at the end of the tail Ratter as I remember:-)

[murraymints]

with the snow I can see all sorts of prints...not just cat's...looks like Fox and badger as well as lots of little prints.......

[RATTER15]

Yes ladybirder, correct, I was just making a little silly. :-)

[ladybirder]

I like silly:-)

[Chipchopper]

I've seen stoats in my garden on several occasions and welcome and encourage them, they keep down the numbers of destructive wild rabbits Plus any rats that think about moving in.
They don't always stay still long enough for my eyes to focus on the black tail tip, but they seem much bigger than weasels.
I've noticed they are playful and seem to enjoy running in and out of a log pile.
Probably wise to keep pet rabbits as secure as possible though

[wildwood]

ask your gran, stoats in warmer regions don't turn white in winter or only partial, this is a genetic thing not a reaction to the temperature. A white stoat in the south would stand out in winter so won't survive.

The difference between a stoat and a weasel is easily recognised by the black tip of the tail on the stoat, this remains even when they turn white.

[Maydup]

Yes keep the rabbits safe.

I would consider adding another layer of closer mesh to the run as the stoat will squeeze through small gaps. I fear it's been attracted to your garden by the rabbits since they are its primary source of food. The rabbit's nromal defence is to out run the stoat; of course in a run it has no escape.