Discussion
I was lucky enough to spot a pine marten last night on a dark country road in north Cumbria.
I've seen quite a few polecats around here but never a marten - surprisingly large (thought it was small badger at first), it stopped in the dyke, rose up on it's front legs and stared straight at the headlights.
A nice encounter - how rare are they in England?
I've seen quite a few polecats around here but never a marten - surprisingly large (thought it was small badger at first), it stopped in the dyke, rose up on it's front legs and stared straight at the headlights.
A nice encounter - how rare are they in England?
These people would love to hear of your sighting. https://pine-marten-recovery-project.org.uk/suppor...
From their Website:
"The pine marten population in Scotland is recovering and expanding and pine martens have begun to spread over the English border and re-colonise areas of Northumberland and Cumbria. The rate and success of this re-colonisation will depend on the availability of suitable habitat and the influence of anthropogenic factors, such as mortality on roads.
The VWT is helping to pave the way for the recovery of the pine marten in northern England through our Back from the Brink project. The project is monitoring the re-colonisation of pine martens with help from a network of volunteers, enhancing habitat by installing artificial den boxes to provide resting and breeding sites for pine martens and raising awareness of the species".
I live in Aberdeen and they have spread to park & wood land on the edge of the city
From their Website:
"The pine marten population in Scotland is recovering and expanding and pine martens have begun to spread over the English border and re-colonise areas of Northumberland and Cumbria. The rate and success of this re-colonisation will depend on the availability of suitable habitat and the influence of anthropogenic factors, such as mortality on roads.
The VWT is helping to pave the way for the recovery of the pine marten in northern England through our Back from the Brink project. The project is monitoring the re-colonisation of pine martens with help from a network of volunteers, enhancing habitat by installing artificial den boxes to provide resting and breeding sites for pine martens and raising awareness of the species".
I live in Aberdeen and they have spread to park & wood land on the edge of the city
Not in England but over here they have a reputation for chewing up tasty plastic bits of your car. I think* the German Marder is also a Pine Marten.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marder
Only seen one once lolloping up our residential street just after dark. It or its mates did a few hundred euros damage to our Golf VII. They have never touched our other cars but have attacked the Golf twice.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marder
Only seen one once lolloping up our residential street just after dark. It or its mates did a few hundred euros damage to our Golf VII. They have never touched our other cars but have attacked the Golf twice.
Lord 
said:
said: Not in England but over here they have a reputation for chewing up tasty plastic bits of your car. I think* the German Marder is also a Pine Marten.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marder
Only seen one once lolloping up our residential street just after dark. It or its mates did a few hundred euros damage to our Golf VII. They have never touched our other cars but have attacked the Golf twice.
I think that link is just a general page for the weasel family.https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marder
Only seen one once lolloping up our residential street just after dark. It or its mates did a few hundred euros damage to our Golf VII. They have never touched our other cars but have attacked the Golf twice.
The car muncher is the Beech Marten, otherwise known as the Stone Marten, or Steinmarder in German.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steinmarder
Turn7 said:
GetCarter has the little buggers knocking on his back door....
http://stevecarter.com/ansh/marten.htm
(drives my dog mad)
Edited by GetCarter on Monday 8th April 11:09
In eastern europe Russia etc a beech martin is called a Belki. In Russia a crazed drunken person is called a Belki!
They are a nightmare. I have a old timber framed house with external insulation then a thin coat of Mazilka (artex type stuff) In the spring I had a family of Belki get into the cavity via the roof and caused me no end of issues.
The bds would awake around midnight and then proceed to play like chipmunks on speed, until 6am. It felt like I was in a hamster cage
They st in all the voids and the suspended ceilings leaving yellow streaks running down the walls, chewed through electric cables in about 10 places .
Originally I thought it was rats in the house ,but my neighbour said he saw Belki.
I googled an answer for how to get rid , noise is the answer as they like peace and quiet.....so I decide to reggae them out.
For a week I had my 1000w stereo blasting out non stop (i stayed at a mates house ), no progress, the second week I changed to Groove Armada and the funky base lines started to work but the clincher was sitting on my neighbours garage roof with a bottle of ouzo and a catapault...2 direct hits and they left!
They are a nightmare. I have a old timber framed house with external insulation then a thin coat of Mazilka (artex type stuff) In the spring I had a family of Belki get into the cavity via the roof and caused me no end of issues.
The b
ds would awake around midnight and then proceed to play like chipmunks on speed, until 6am. It felt like I was in a hamster cage They s
t in all the voids and the suspended ceilings leaving yellow streaks running down the walls, chewed through electric cables in about 10 places . Originally I thought it was rats in the house ,but my neighbour said he saw Belki.
I googled an answer for how to get rid , noise is the answer as they like peace and quiet.....so I decide to reggae them out.
For a week I had my 1000w stereo blasting out non stop (i stayed at a mates house ), no progress, the second week I changed to Groove Armada and the funky base lines started to work but the clincher was sitting on my neighbours garage roof with a bottle of ouzo and a catapault...2 direct hits and they left!
Interesting to see the relationship with the red squirrels (introduced here 3 years ago).
We thought the reds would get eaten up in an instant, but they are so much lighter than the Martens, they just hide in the top branches until the Martens get bored and wander away.
We are on our 7th generation of Martens here - generally one or two kits a year.
Current mum:
We thought the reds would get eaten up in an instant, but they are so much lighter than the Martens, they just hide in the top branches until the Martens get bored and wander away.
We are on our 7th generation of Martens here - generally one or two kits a year.
Current mum:
Edited by GetCarter on Tuesday 3rd December 17:15
Common as the proverbial here in Central France along with their cousin the Stone Martin.
Lovely to look at but a bugger if you've got chickens as they're partial to a little poulet.
We've only got red squirrels here, the horrible grey tree rats are thankfully stuck on the British Isles
Apparently wolves are making their way back north over here, they've reached the Aveyron after being extinct hereabouts since the 1950's.
Can't feel bad towards the martins though, they're great.
Lovely to look at but a bugger if you've got chickens as they're partial to a little poulet.
We've only got red squirrels here, the horrible grey tree rats are thankfully stuck on the British Isles
Apparently wolves are making their way back north over here, they've reached the Aveyron after being extinct hereabouts since the 1950's.
Can't feel bad towards the martins though, they're great.
Edited by Rushjob on Tuesday 3rd December 20:36
GetCarter said:
Turn7 said:
Are the Reds getting a decent foothold now Steve ?
OT/ - Still got the Caterham or moved on ?
Reds seem to be doing well. Seen 2 today.OT/ - Still got the Caterham or moved on ?
No Seven at present, sold my third ... got a huge dog who goes everywhere with us, which kinda' scuppers two seats!
Surely Mrs GC has a nice RR ?
Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff