Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
Goodbye To Master Marten
by admin - 23:26 on 12 July 2011
There's been some recent debate about whether Master Marten is actually Mrs Marten. Tonight, the question may have been answered.
It's been a couple of days since I've laid eyes on a pine marten (although one practised ninja skills last night to be here and gone while my back was turned for five minutes) so it was good to see the Master atop the garden gate around 9.30 tonight.
He'd taken only a small nibble of Nutella when he jumped off and hurried into the undergrowth. A few moments later he returned, climbed back on to the gate and took another dainty mouthful while gazing around, then turned to stare into the shrubbery from where he'd come.
Lumpy in The Nutella Tree a week ago – mum still keeps an eye on him
Was Romeo on the prowl, I wondered, until a much smaller marten appeared and took its place on the now vacant gate. Mrs Marten – for it seems clear I misidentified her last year – made sure junior was OK and left, maybe to check up on two other youngsters.
The light was dim but I'm almost certain that junior was Lumpy: the lumps are long gone but the bib remains distinctive.
He (or she) finished the Nutella on the gate then enjoyed some more in the tree before leaving in the same direction as mum. Neither noticed the egg in the buttercup patch at the side of the garden, also missed the previous night. I might have to find a more obvious spot.
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