Russell (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} bassman99) wrote,@ 2009-06-20 22:46:00 |
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ENCOUNTER WITH A PINE MARTEN
Matchgirl will be jealous – I’ve at last seen the pine marten that Soo and Tony spotted on the limbless apple tree while we sunned ourselves in Namibia.
I made my first sighting yesterday evening during a visit to Mr and Mrs Snapper’s house. The marten scampered across the top of their wheeliebin, beneath their car and in and out of their garage in his hunt for food. Nothing was to be had so he didn’t stay long, but conversation naturally turned towards the animal’s culinary preferences.
The answer, it seems, is Nutella.
Martens have a sweet tooth, I was told, and chocolate hazelnut spread is their idea of heaven. Put some out and you’ll see, Mrs Snapper assured me.
So tonight I pulled the gate far enough around for me to keep an eye on it from the comfort of the sofa, spread a generous helping of Nutella along its top bar, then sat back and waited. Within an hour the confectionery-crazed creature had followed the scent to its source. Fantastic.
After licking the gate clean he ran up the apple tree, where Soo and Tony had left peanut butter during their residence, then down again, disappointed. The loss of a few of the tree’s buds was worth the sighting.
He’s a beautiful animal: rich red-brown fur with a cream bib and ear tufts, agile, inquisitive and a pleasure to watch. I have a few photos but nothing I wish to put before the public because they’re too blurry. The camera tripod is now in place. I’ll try again tomorrow and use the highest ISO setting to counteract the failing light at dusk. Fingers crossed.
Matchgirl will be jealous – I’ve at last seen the pine marten that Soo and Tony spotted on the limbless apple tree while we sunned ourselves in Namibia.
I made my first sighting yesterday evening during a visit to Mr and Mrs Snapper’s house. The marten scampered across the top of their wheeliebin, beneath their car and in and out of their garage in his hunt for food. Nothing was to be had so he didn’t stay long, but conversation naturally turned towards the animal’s culinary preferences.
The answer, it seems, is Nutella.
Martens have a sweet tooth, I was told, and chocolate hazelnut spread is their idea of heaven. Put some out and you’ll see, Mrs Snapper assured me.
So tonight I pulled the gate far enough around for me to keep an eye on it from the comfort of the sofa, spread a generous helping of Nutella along its top bar, then sat back and waited. Within an hour the confectionery-crazed creature had followed the scent to its source. Fantastic.
After licking the gate clean he ran up the apple tree, where Soo and Tony had left peanut butter during their residence, then down again, disappointed. The loss of a few of the tree’s buds was worth the sighting.
He’s a beautiful animal: rich red-brown fur with a cream bib and ear tufts, agile, inquisitive and a pleasure to watch. I have a few photos but nothing I wish to put before the public because they’re too blurry. The camera tripod is now in place. I’ll try again tomorrow and use the highest ISO setting to counteract the failing light at dusk. Fingers crossed.
