Friday, August 20, 2010

Great news from Scotland

Photo credit Steve Gardner/Scottish Wildlife Trust

This past week I’ve spent hours sitting in the midst of a large rabbit warren, reading and hoping for a close view of Stoat….or even a Polecat! I’ve spent further hours fruitlessly searching various local habitats for Harvest Mouse…but it’s been great to be out and about.

Today I’ve been stuck inside, preparing for a trip to Somerset over the weekend, but I’ve been celebrating the news of 2 Beaver kits from different family groups being spotted in Scotland’s Knapdale Forest, where strenuous efforts are taking place to reintroduce this special mammal back into the wild.

It’s brought back memories of the time I spent searching for Beavers during a family holiday on the shores of Lake Annecy a few years ago. At the southern end of the lake is a nature reserve where Beavers are resident. A daytime wander revealed a number of pencil-point trunks, a lodge, and a small dam.

I returned late one night, making my way through the thick undergrowth. I stood by the side of the main channel for a while until I thought I heard a noise. I switched the torch on just as a Beaver swam past in front of me with a branch clasped in its jaws. Further downstream it left the water and spent a few minutes watching me from the bank. Wonderful!

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