Long-tailed Weasel

Thought I would give everyone, including myself, a change from barns and tiny owls, so it's back to the beautiful Long-tailed Weasel that gave so many people a lot of pleasure back in November 2014 - this shot was taken on 20 November.

Thursday, 20 November 2014, was a good morning for seeing this Long-tailed Weasel and being able to get some photos of it. Some days you are lucky, and others you are not.

I went out on a birding walk with friends that morning. The weather has been reasonably mild recently, with sunshine and blue skies, perfect for a leisurely walk. Our weather changed yesterday and today (30 November 2014), when snow returned along with brutally cold temperatures again.

After the walk, I paid another visit to where the Long-tailed Weasel can sometimes be seen. Various friends were there, too, and we were treated to a few good photo opps, including with some of the eight or so Meadow Voles it caught while we were there. It is an amazing hunter, moving so rapidly over the uneven, snowy ground and tangles of dead plants and fallen logs.

"Counting its tail, a large Long-tailed Weasel male, the largest of the three species in Canada, stretches nearly half a metre (20 in) in length, yet can slip into a hole just 3 cm (1.25 in) across. This enables it to enter small rodent tunnels used by mice and voles. In summer, it enters ground squirrels burrows in search of its favourite food. Average males measure 406 mm (16 in), their tail is 135 mm (5.25) long and they weigh 225 g (12.6 oz). Males are approximately 25 per cent larger than females, which on average weigh only 102 g (5.7 oz).

When winter approaches, within 30 days it grows a coat of white, giving it perfect camouflage against the snow -- all except for the tip of its tail, which stays black. A hungry predator, such as a hawk or owl, aims for that black tip, enabling the weasel to escape. Towards spring, between late February and April, in only 25 days, it reverses the process, acquiring the cinnamon-brown topcoat it will use all summer. This includes brown feet, unlike the other two species which retain white feet. The underside is usually buff-coloured." (Taken from the old weaselhead.org website).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-tailed_weasel