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Stoat on Carn Mor Dearg

Stoat on Carn Mor Dearg


Postby Davestu9 » Thu Mar 25, 2021 3:27 pm

Hello everyone. I am new to the site and posting for the first time. I'd like to use the wealth of knowledge here to answer a question that has bothered me for over 10 years now. Some years ago in the month of June I saw what appeared to be a stoat like creature on the summit ridge of Carn Mor Dearg very close to the actual summit. Has anyone else encountered this and was it in fact a stoat?
Regards to all.
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Re: Stoat on Carn Mor Dearg

Postby jmarkb » Thu Mar 25, 2021 8:37 pm

Welcome to WH!

There are records of stoats on the top of Ben Nevis from the days when the Observatory was manned. More recently there have been sightings of a pine marten on the summit of the Ben - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRKhA0cBzwo
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Re: Stoat on Carn Mor Dearg

Postby AyrshireAlps » Fri Mar 26, 2021 2:56 pm

I had the pleasure (sort of!) of seeing two Stoats knocking seven bells out of each other on the path up Meall a Buachaille in 2020, the noise was incredible, and it went on for a good 30 seconds right in front of us, before they realised we were there, and they scurried off in seperate directions!.
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Re: Stoat on Carn Mor Dearg

Postby Caberfeidh » Sat Mar 27, 2021 11:06 am

I once saw a stoat at the summit cairn of Derry Cairngorm, it romped about a bit and entered the cairn itself, hiding in the crevices between rocks. I've also seen toads and frogs at high altitude, in some very steep places, up on the slopes of Carn an Tuirc near the Glen Shee ski areas. We are not the only mountaineers, though I didn't see any little ice axes... :shock:
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Re: Stoat on Carn Mor Dearg

Postby Tringa » Sun Mar 28, 2021 9:00 am

The pine marten video above is great. They are the delightful animals.

Caberfeidh's comment about frogs and toads reminded me of a sighting of a frog at about 900m on Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair.
Although it was summer I was surprised to see one so high and in such a remote spot. I reckon it would have a a very long hop over difficult ground(lots of rocks with gaps it could fall into) to get somewhere that would not freeze solid in the winter.

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Re: Stoat on Carn Mor Dearg

Postby Davestu9 » Sun Mar 28, 2021 2:03 pm

I wish i'd asked about the stoat before now. Would have saved years of wondering quite what it was! Other weird sightings I can think of are an adder half way up Beinn Fionnlaidh, a common lizard on the approach to Ben Wyvis and weirdly small spiders shaped like mini crabs falling on me from the sky on Gulvain. Honestly!!
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Re: Stoat on Carn Mor Dearg

Postby Skyelines » Sun Mar 28, 2021 6:15 pm

Davestu9 wrote:weirdly small spiders shaped like mini crabs falling on me from the sky on Gulvain. Honestly!!


There are a number of crab spider species which got their name because they look (guess what) crablike and they do go "ballooning" by releasing silk as a sail on a breezy day they can be carried by the wind.
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Re: Stoat on Carn Mor Dearg

Postby Caberfeidh » Mon Mar 29, 2021 10:23 am

Skyelines wrote:
Davestu9 wrote:weirdly small spiders shaped like mini crabs falling on me from the sky on Gulvain. Honestly!!


There are a number of crab spider species which got their name because they look (guess what) crablike and they do go "ballooning" by releasing silk as a sail on a breezy day they can be carried by the wind.


Yes, we'll say that. As Ship's Medic I can get you an ointment... :shock:
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Re: Stoat on Carn Mor Dearg

Postby Alteknacker » Mon Mar 29, 2021 10:08 pm

Caberfeidh wrote:.... I've also seen toads and frogs at high altitude, in some very steep places...


Indeed. This walking up to Lochnagar, at, I guess, around 850m.

20180414_113349 red.jpg
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Re: Stoat on Carn Mor Dearg

Postby denfinella » Tue Mar 30, 2021 1:29 pm

And 900m up on Carn a' Mhaim (Ben Macdui):

IMG_8134.JPG
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Re: Stoat on Carn Mor Dearg

Postby Sgurr » Sun Apr 04, 2021 10:58 pm

We saw what we took to be a weasel on top of Baosbheinn once.
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