#pine marten tracks

[kunavi]

Tracks of a pine marten (Martes martes) in the snow near the Barrach Wood at Cougie in the Glen Affric NNR in March.

[fatehbaz]

Travel back [...] a few hundred years to before the industrial revolution, and the wildlife of Britain and Ireland looks very different indeed. 

Take orcas: while there are now less than ten left in Britain’s only permanent (and non-breeding) resident population, around 250 years ago the English [...] naturalist John Wallis gave this extraordinary account of a mass stranding of orcas on the north Northumberland coast [...]. If this record is reliable, then more orcas were stranded on this beach south of the Farne Islands on one day in 1734 than are probably ever present in British and Irish waters today. [...]

Other careful naturalists from this period observed orcas around the coasts of Cornwall, Norfolk and Suffolk. I have spent the last five years tracking down more than 10,000 records of wildlife recorded between 1529 and 1772 by naturalists, travellers, historians and antiquarians throughout Britain and Ireland, in order to reevaluate the prevalence and habits of more than 150 species [...].

In the early modern period, wolves, beavers and probably some lynxes still survived in regions of Scotland and Ireland. By this point, wolves in particular seem to have become re-imagined as monsters [...].

Elsewhere in Scotland, the now globally extinct great auk could still be found on islands in the Outer Hebrides. Looking a bit like a penguin but most closely related to the razorbill, the great auk’s vulnerability is highlighted by writer Martin Martin while mapping St Kilda in 1697 [...].

[A]nd pine martens and “Scottish” wildcats were also found in England and Wales. Fishers caught burbot and sturgeon in both rivers and at sea, [...] as well as now-scarce fishes such as the angelshark, halibut and common skate. Threatened molluscs like the freshwater pearl mussel and oyster were also far more widespread. [...]

Predators such as wolves that interfered with human happiness were ruthlessly hunted. Authors such as Robert Sibbald, in his natural history of Scotland (1684), are aware and indeed pleased that several species of wolf have gone extinct:

There must be a divine kindness directed towards our homeland, because most of our animals have a use for human life. We also lack those wild and savage ones of other regions. Wolves were common once upon a time, and even bears are spoken of among the Scottish, but time extinguished the genera and they are extirpated from the island.

The wolf was of no use for food and medicine and did no service for humans, so its extinction could be celebrated as an achievement towards the creation of a more civilised world. Around 30 natural history sources written between the 16th and 18th centuries remark on the absence of the wolf from England, Wales and much of Scotland. [...]

In Pococke’s 1760 Tour of Scotland, he describes being told about a wild species of cat – which seems, incredibly, to be a lynx – still living in the old county of Kirkcudbrightshire in the south-west of Scotland. Much of Pococke’s description of this cat is tied up with its persecution, apparently including an extra cost that the fox-hunter charges for killing lynxes:

They have also a wild cat three times as big as the common cat. [...] It is said they will attack a man who would attempt to take their young one [...]. The country pays about £20 a year to a person who is obliged to come and destroy the foxes when they send to him. [...]

The capercaillie is another example of a species whose decline was correctly recognised by early modern writers. Today, this large turkey-like bird [...] is found only rarely in the north of Scotland, but 250–500 years ago it was recorded in the west of Ireland as well as a swathe of Scotland north of the central belt. [...] Charles Smith, the prolific Dublin-based author who had theorised about the decline of herring on the coast of County Down, also recorded the capercaillie in County Cork in the south of Ireland, but noted: This bird is not found in England and now rarely in Ireland, since our woods have been destroyed. [...] Despite being protected by law in Scotland from 1621 and in Ireland 90 years later, the capercaillie went extinct in both countries in the 18th century [...].

---

Images, captions, and all text above by: Lee Raye. “Wildlife wonders of Britain and Ireland before the industrial revolution – my research reveals all the biodiversity we’ve lost.” The Conversation. 17 July 2023. [Map by Lee Raye. Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Presented here for commentary, teaching, criticism purposes.]

[bonefall]

Mr Bones, what are your opinions on the blurb for the Ivypool Super Edition? I'm disappointed it's another travelling book myself and I'm nervous how they will depict the strange animals mentioned knowing the Erin's track record.

Much as I am known for my Hateposts, I am a Chronic Liker. I am not as hard to please as it may seem, I have VERY low standards.

You know what happens if we get "strange creatures?" BB gets some NEW MAGIC BEASTS

IDK ABOUT YOU BUT IM READY FOR MORE MAGIC BEAFTS.

Soooo keep in mind I have a bit of a bias. I am both an optimist and a scavenger. If there's a cool idea to play with im usually happy lmaoo

Assorted thoughts though;

I also don't like the idea of ANOTHER travel book. Come on man. We had two travel books in the main series, the new content in Riverstar's Hng was all travel, and now ANOTHER one??

Just nuke the lake already if you hate it so much. Why can't they write the battle cats battling or something.

VERY interested in "ancient sins" being corrected. Are we going to get the badger thing addressed??

Or the rats or raccoons SkyClan dealt with?

Or, hell, the beavers?

I'm willing to be a little charitable after the introduction of the Park Cats. I've spoken about how I dislike them as-are, BUT, also spoken about how they're a step in the right direction, y'know?

Park cats are a dissatisfying but GOOD thing. So I'll hear this out.

I'm pretty neutral-positive on Ivypool. I like when girls are mean.

I have no strong feelings on her having a thing with grief. I think it's a good idea and a good plot to explore.

Glad to see that Bristlefrost's death isn't all for the sake of Rootspring though I'll tell you that! So, again, charitability here.

Legitimately interested in what wild shit the new team is going to do with "Strange Creatures." I thought they were going to leave the weird non-cat entities in the transition like Fallout and talking deathclaws.

(And as a talking deathclaw liker...)

MIND YOU I think it will be awful. But if it's funny or interesting in its awfulness I'm game.

My wild hope is that the strange beasts are pine martens. I think that would be cool.

[probablyasocialecologist]

While white-tailed eagles, bustards and cranes were also all much more common than they are today, some other now-ubiquitous species were much less common before the industrial revolution. Rabbits were still mainly a coastal species except in lowland England, and roe deer were found wild only in the north of Scotland and Eryri (Snowdonia) in north-west Wales. There were no grey squirrels, and brown rats were only introduced at the very end of the period. On the other hand, red squirrels and ship rats were still widespread, and pine martens and “Scottish” wildcats were also found in England and Wales. Fishers caught burbot and sturgeon in both rivers and at sea, where they also pulled in plentiful amounts of tuna and swordfish, as well as now-scarce fishes such as the angelshark, halibut and common skate. Threatened molluscs like the freshwater pearl mussel and oyster were also far more widespread.

[mustelis-leporid]

ABOUT ME :3

Hi! Welcome to my blog :) I am a member of the therian/otherkin community and started this as a way of keeping track of my own identity and to be more involved with the community.

I have a pine marten theriotype, and also a domestic rabbit type (am questioning, I will update this list as I learn more about myself! :3 )

I may post about my other interests but this will mostly be specific to my alterhuman experience

Feel free to send asks!

My 'own thoughts' tag is #jack's rambles :)

[logintuition]

His Dark Materials Characters in Modern-Day England

Lord Asriel:

Tenured professor at Oxford

Invented a wholeass esoteric field because none of the existing fields suited his Vision™️

Has never given a student an A

All of his students have a crush on him. He knows. He doesn't give a shit

Almost gets fired once every week, despite his tenure, because he can't #beneutral

Outspoken about Palestine

Made a zionist colleague cry once, shrugged, and continued sipping his tea like nothing had happened

Was asked by the headmaster to make a formal apology to the colleagues he offended. Asked Lyra to put a presentation together for his "apology." Presentation was gen z memes that made the situation 10X worse

And that was the first time he actually laughed

Marisa

Visiting professor at Oxford. Originally a professor at Bern, Switzerland

Likes to remind Asriel that his lab equipment sucks and her experiments will always be better because she's actually Rich and not a sad excuse of an aristocrat like him

Hot chocolate? It's chocolatl, you simpleton

Keeps track of Lyra's scholarly accomplishments

Once threatened a colleague because they said they'd fail Lyra

Generally a bit too invested in Lyra

Has small moments of gae panik whenever Mary passes by

Tried to get Asriel fired. Not because she's offended by his ideology or because she necessarily disagrees with him; she just.... wanted him to get fired

Mary

Is canonically an Oxford professor in modern-day England

Calls students by nicknames

Brings snacks to the class

Barked a laugh at Asriel's presentation but quickly clamped her mouth shut and pretended nothing had happened

Is somehow never intimated by Marisa's glares

Smiles at Marisa. Knows Marisa is just a flustered gae so she's sympathetic

Says she doesn't have favourites but Lyra is her favourite

Lyra

Studies quantum physics

Of all her professors, she only likes Mary

The only reason she made that presentation for Asriel is because she's an outspoken pro Palestine supporter herself

Campaigns and advocates and Would Not Be Silenced no matter the cost (Asriel is high-key proud but would rather die than tell her. He expresses his appreciation by sneering and rolling his eyes at her when she does something brazen)

She and Will adopted a cat together

She also adopted a pine marten, much to everyone's horror

Is friends with the staff at her dormitory. And the security guards at her college. And the bakers and cooks and florists and that one shoe-shiner, but somehow doesn't have any friend with her in class

Will

Is cnonically from modern-day England

Studies medicine

Literally everyone likes him

Cat magnet

Study-a-holic, workaholic, good-deeds-a-holic

Organises fundraising events to support people in Gaza

Once hit a person. Police arrived. They apologised to him. Won a medal

Has major beef with Marisa

Boreal

Shows up every once in a while to stir some shit

Informant for the police

"Concerned citizen" (major Karen)

"Philanthropist" (takes money from people)

Billionaire (derogatory)

Zionist

The person Will hit

Asriel beat him up once too

Tbh everyone beat him up

Why is he still alive again?

He isn't; Marisa killed him

[coffeehound91]

i’m curious about “Heart(less)” and “pining for you”!

So…Heart(less) is going to be my attempt at the wandering heart trope. Except Roope is aromantic in this particular verse, so he is someone who keeps his heart close to his chest (figuratively and literally).

Pining for You is an AU where Wyatt is a witch who helps people find lost objects—he’s what’s considered a finder. His familiar is a pine marten who ends up disappearing for plot shaped reasons, and Wyatt has to track them down.

Both fics are of course Ryatt, because my brain rot will never stop rotting.

Thank you letting me talk about my fics!

[wispstalk]

bruma vignettes

Bruma in spring: The roads, clear of snow for the first time in months, offer no easy passing. The forested slopes soak up meltwater; the roads turn to mush, rutted deep with wagon-tracks, the movement of herds to fresh pastures where the grass bursts from the sleeping soil.

The Hero of Kvatch and his apprentice go out ranging. Looking for sinister signs among this flurry of movement: reddening skies, whiffs of sulfur. Combing the wilderness for arches of black stone, witnessed only by themselves and the hawks. One erupts from the spongy ground of a pristine glade, turning it hard and cracked and burnt. Sparrows and stags and pine martens flee. The two hunters enter.

After the gate falls, the Hero of Kvatch stalks back to the trail. No one is faster than his apprentice, but his long legs outpace her. Absorbed in his brooding, he vanishes around the hairpin turns that snap back and forth across the mountain.

She finds him waiting for her on a rocky ledge that punches a gap in the masses of trees. A nice view of the valley below. He’s chewing something. Holds out his hand: a spruce tip, such a bright green it seems to glow with reckless optimism.

For fending off scurvy and spring sicknesses, he tells her. That is the lens through which he sees the world: its ailments. He sets about filling his hip pouch with the buds, claims it makes a pleasant tea. Raw and fresh, the initial taste is bitter, the texture like soft caterpillar legs dancing over her tongue. She almost spits it out. Endures. Savors the reward of subtle earth and spice that lingers in her mouth, all the way to the temple.

—

Bruma in summer: Sweltering days giving way to cool nights. No one quite knows how to dress themselves. Pile on layers, peel them off, odd assemblies of thick woolen shawls and trousers hacked off at the knee. Sticky, fragrant shade beneath the bowed branches of the laurels; sere fields and pastures where they have been cleared away. The sun makes lazy exits and the markets become livelier in the evenings once the breeze kicks up. Music and chatter drifting from tavern doors, flung open wide.

—

Bruma in autumn: A storm surges up from the balmy Abecean. The Jeralls turn their backs and let it blow itself out. Pounding rain recruits cold and wind on its way north, turns to hail: the lash of Kynareth or a tribute to the stone.

Down in the foothills, the trees throw out one last defiant burst of color. Clad like festival dancers, they form a circle around the valley with all its smoking chimneys, a sort of reverse bonfire. They shed their red and gold finery in tantalizing pieces. Naked grey branches, stoic in the wake of their revels, keep weary watch over the houses nestled in the cradle of the mountains.

Peer through the windows of those houses, glowing gold with lantern-light. See that there are harvests on the tables within, despite everything.

—

Bruma in winter: There is a path, hidden by hemlock branches and the bare skeletons of wormwood, that carves its way into the sky. Now it is so clogged with snow that those who walk it must wear bearpaws of bent willow and tie trailing sprays of pine to their packs to mask their footsteps.

When the snow-haze lifts, the temple in the sky can almost be seen. A determined eye might catch a rocky ledge where the shapes are a bit too regular. The temple meets that gaze with indifference: any challenger must first survive the climb.

Within Cloud Ruler, there is safety and boredom. The Blades spread crushed rock on the icy battlements, in part to make their patrols less perilous, and in part for something to do. The heir to the throne is a fixture in the great hall. His eyes grow shadowy as the long nights, his hands stain with ink, the cedar smoke of the hearth sinks into his hair and the roughness of his rare-used voice.

He realizes that it has been days, or weeks, or— some time since he has been out to greet the sun. Its wan light feels like a cruel mirror. But he goes around gathering up armor against the biting wind: a shirt that smells of a friend, smoke and sweat and horse and iron. A bearskin coat over that, and an old worn blanket of checked wool.

His slippered feet are unsteady on the hard-packed ice despite the gravel. He makes it to the battlements, stares down at the expanse of grey and white that yawns beneath him. Snaps an icicle the length of his arm off the ledge of the wall. Holds it up, considers the way it gathers up enough wan light to glitter.

He hucks it, like a spear, at a crooked spruce that clings to the downslope. The tree shudders and drops its burden of snow. The shatter and soft thump are amplified, bouncing off rock faces, and a patch of snow shifts and slides until it comes to rest against a boulder.

He lets out a soft curse and a laugh. Careless. Petulant. All the snow that mantles these moutains could be brought down, perhaps by a shout of anguish or frustration or sheer bafflement. The heir to the empire has had enough of inviting catastrophe. He knows how to take pleasure in a little peace and quiet.

White peaks scrape holes in a matching sky and vanish into them. These austere mountains have borne the cold for countless turns of the season, before there were people to do any counting. They will weather more yet.

[neopronouns]

colorgenders inspired by the results of a “What is your Aura” quiz ((https://)uquiz(.)com/quiz/pxTx2D/what-color-is-your-aura):

Sky: short poems, teacups, clear skies, diaries, dripping icicles, tears, tennis shoes.

Honeysuckle: succulents, key lime, glow-in-the-dark stars, blown glass, honeydew, garter snakes, notes in bottles.

Seafoam: clear water, milkshakes, crystals, agave, candy dishes, converse, seashells.

Yellow: daisies, road signs, bumblebees, lemon meringue, bicycles, polaroids, awnings.

Hickory: felled oak, brass, sunken ships, olive pits, graphic shirts, splinters, dark room.

Orange: guitars, fanta bottles, sunglasses, orange peels, butterflies, popsicles, paper lanterns.

Sage: herb clippings, matcha, bullet journals, mini backpacks, needle felts, pistachio, laptop stickers.

Teal: dyed hair, scales, doc martens, aurora borealis, stormy seas, kingfishers, agate. 

Royal (blue): crown jewels, portraits, satin chairs, masquerades, nebulas, betta fish, secrets.

Gold: lion statues, coins, gold leafing, bound books, goldfinches, crowns, heart lockets. 

Crimson: rose vines, blood, apples, velvet, sharp nails, galaxies, dripping jewellery.

Navy: brush strokes, suit jackets, midnight, comforters, star gazing, arctic waters, starlings.

Forest: fern leaves, greenhouses, cloaks, bookstores, pine trees, chokers, snake scales. 

honey: friendship bracelets, beehives, school buses, children's books, flower petals, honeyed toast, polaroids. 

Ashen: old newspapers, smoke, quiet cities, pale cheeks, pebbles, chalk, the clouded moon.

Garnet: Brooches, anthologies, stained glass, leaves, dining chairs, long robes, curtains.

Chiffon: stone walls, sweaters, moths, dusty lace, animal tracks, incense, throw pillows.

Red: leather jackets, cherries, bruised knuckles, roses, lipstick, fast cars, rose petals.

Magenta: splattered paint, glitter, childhood friends, neon, pleather, dance floors, crystals.

Amaranth: bundled flowers, ribbon, merlot, overcoats, gemstones, lipstick prints, red velvet.

Periwinkle: knit hats, candies, tiny flowers, beads, teacups, washi tape, clouds.

Jade: islands, sketchbooks, rainy windows, pendants, puzzle pieces, tree frogs, sea glass.

Pink: cupcakes, sunglasses, pink sands, starbursts, pinky promises, flower crowns, ice cream.

Rose: lace, blown kisses, milk tea, paper fans, pillows, ballet slippers, fairy wings.

Amethyst: earrings, violet corts, parades, gemstones, insect wings, grape bushels, outer space.

Noir: drops of ink, eyeliner, crows, spiders, charcoal, painted nails, the night.

Cream: dandelions, marble, bottled coffee, hair ties, banana cream, bedsheets, sketches. 

Beige: lattes, dry fields, footprints, easels, cat fur, pottery, fresh-baked cookies.

Pearl: abalone, perfume bottles, chandeliers, tulle, ball jointed dolls, satin, paint palettes. 

Bronze: leather books, cowboy hats, foxes, candle jars, sword hilts, cobblestone streets, hourglasses

Amber: autumn days, freckles, torches, cabins, fossils, unbrushed hair, enamel pins.

Fire: sunrises, woven blankets, campfires, tigers, whiskey, monarchs, road trips.

Purple: geodes, club lights, ferris wheels, sunglasses, hummingbirds, eyeshadow, outer space. 

Blush: lollipops, warm cheeks, lip gloss, flowers, flamingo feathers, painted nails, heart glasses.

finally done with all of these — they're queued!

[longliverockback]

Jethro Tull Original Album Series [Box Set] 2014 Chrysalis ————————————————— Tracks CD One: Songs from the Wood 01. Songs from the Wood 02. Jack-in-the-Green 03. Cup of Wonder 04. Hunting Girl 05. Ring out, Solstice Bells 06. Velvet Green 07. The Whistler 08. Pibroch (Cap in Hand) 09. Fire at Midnight

Tracks CD Two: Heavy Horses 01. …And the Mouse Police Never Sleeps 02. Acres Wild 03. No Lullaby 04. Moths 05. Journeyman 06. Rover 07. One Brown Mouse 08. Heavy Horses 09. Weathercock

Tracks CD Three: Stormwatch 01. North Sea Oil 02. Orion 03. Home 04. Dark Ages 05. Warm Sporran 06. Something’s on the Move 07. Old Ghosts 08. Dun Ringhill 09. Flying Dutchman 10. Elegy

Tracks CD Four: A 01. Crossfire 02. Flyingdale Flyer 03. Working John, Working Joe 04. Black Sunday 05. Protect and Survive 06. Batteries Not Included 07. Uniform 08. 4.W.D. (Low Ratio) 09. The Pine Marten’s Jig 10. And Further On

Tracks CD Five: The Broadsword and the Beast 01. Beastie 02. Clasp 03. Fallen on Hard Times 04. Flying Colours 05. Broadsword 06. Batteries Not Included 07. Pussy Willow 08. Watching Me, Watching You 09. Seal Driver 10. Cheerio ————————————————— * Long Live Rock Archive

[drasticdoodling]

happy pride everyone, have some mustelids!!! i hope you're doing well and staying safe :)

Editing to add image sources where I could find them (wish I'd kept better track of this) Unfortunately I couldn't find links for the American Badger, Fisher, Chinese Ferret Badger, or Sea Otter references

Links under read more

REF IMAGE SOURCES: **Sable** Link - https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sable-foraging-snowy-woods-1708750144 Photographer - Wang LiQiang **Wolverine** Link - https://www.patagonia.com/stories/following-wolverines/story-31092.html Photographer - Steven Gnam **Marbled Polecat** Link - https://www.flickr.com/photos/88147383@N02/13901023967/in/photolist-2mMu4EH-2jcyNtV-2jcyNuB-2jcA9H6-2jcw5Xz-2jcw5XK-2jcyNsH-pjtgpa-2o2zhMw-efNAyw-5uBfzU-66Tpik-evpz6k-2ncYqB9-evpyE6-evpmNH-2ncYqBj-evpxFa-nt9Q4p-2ncYqyP-2ncWWRJ-evpn2g-S5pjcx-2ncZMZD-2ncRMYu-evpxHT-2ncYqzq-efEEFP-nHgv24-RQQAAC-noUyoe-nboo82-yTBkhE-nbEkYc-egsv3K-evpmV8-evsNSu-evpmRK-ntccrE-evsNVm-dpNfT3-evpyqH-evpmXM-evpn4Z-efEEGk-eaGEDx-doQaki-8e9Ujh-24eogGe-6dmX3z Photographer- catnip254 **Pine Marten (on stump)** Link - https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattbinstead/ Photographer - Matt Binstead **Pine Martens (2 in the tree hollow)** Link - https://www.andyrouse.co.uk/ Photographer - Andy Rouse **Stoat** Link - https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/long-tailed-weasel-with-yellow-wildflowers-and-log-royalty-free-image/200352545-001 Photographer - Tom Brakefield **Black Footed Ferret** Link - https://natsci.source.colostate.edu/csu-grad-student-researches-plague-vaccine-protect-endangered-black-footed-ferrets/

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

Hi hi! Happy late nice ask day!

As I understand you spend a lot of time in the outdoors and was wondering if you had any interesting/favorite animal encounters?

Hi!

We've been very fortunate, in that our bear encounters to date have been pretty uneventful. We were in the backcountry once, and had a grizzly walk right the trail where we needed to go...but we just waited for a bit and then walked very slowly, and made a lot of noise, and we didn't see it again.

More recently, a few weeks ago, we were being paralleled by a black bear - he had no interest in us, but also no interest in moving off the trail, really, so we walked almost alongside him for awhile. After about half an hour or so, we lost track of him.

Weekend before last, on our descent from a hike, some folks coming up told us they had seen a grizzly and taken a detour up an avalanche field. Based on where they said it was, there's a good chance we had walked by him, sittin' there eatin' his berries, and not even noticed. But we didn't see anything going in either direction!

One of my regular trail running routes is subject to large flocks of sheep blocking the route. Sometimes, they move. Sometimes, they just stare me down and I end up covered in burrs as a I bushwhack my way down the mountain.

Other than that - we have had a fox walk by us on our back patio, a pine marten that likes to eat mice in our yard, two chipmunks that are currently gorging themselves in our bird feeder, visits from turkeys, and even the occasional garter snake! Oh, and these damn spruce grouses that are dumb as shit, but can also be aggressive.

I could keep rambling but I should probably cut myself off. LOL.

Thanks for asking!

[thegreenersideofit]

Jim Corbett journeys

Even though I have been travelling to Uttarakhand since my teenage years, I had never visited the Jim Corbett National Park located in Nainital(Garhwal). JCNP was named after Sir Jim Corbett who helped in the establishment of this reserve. My tour with my family to Uttarakhand this time round, finally, took me to this place. Jim Corbett NP is also the first national park of India.

We fixed a Delhi- Nainital- Jim Corbett circuit but the online booking to Jim Corbett did not go through as we met with the Sold Out notice. The 5 safari zones(BIjrani gate, Jhirna gate, Dhela gate, Durgadevi gate and Dhikala gate) had stopped any further bookings. In case a tourist fails to book online, one can still visit the Sitabani wildlife reserve and get a Corbett like experience over the rich expanse. Though it is not a part of the Corbett Reserve, Sitabani has fauna and flora to make you feel at home. It is also called the Corbett Landscape.

So though we were put up at a resort near the Dhela gate, we did not have the permit and Sitabani was almost at a one hour distance from here via Dhikuli bridge. So Sitabani, it be!! To enter Sitabani, one must hire a jeep of the National Park and leave all private vehicles behind. We were transferred to a jeep and sat all prepped up for this journey inside the reserve. As our vehicle entered the gates, we were greeted by a huge chirp of birds seemingly welcoming us! The entry made, we understood the rich flora of the place.

The Sal forest hosts tigers, wild elephants, leopards, Asian Black bear, Spotted deer, Barking deer, the yellow throated pine Marten etc. The amazing species of birds existing here are a photographer’s dream – The collared falconet, the Long legged buzzard, Hawk eagle, booted eagle are only some of the names. The pleasant weather combined with the thrill to discover these hidden lives made the Sitabani Wildlife reserve a tour to remember. We encountered some of the above on our trail but the big wild cat clearly evaded us. The rustling yellow shrubs against the tall jungle trees formed an image of the Royal bengal cat for us but that was a betrayal!!

The track and trail was sheer exciting and after two hours of animal/bird watch, it was going to come to an end. As we were heading for the exit, a small bird sitting on a tree high above, chirped over our moving jeep. The chirping was shrill and louder than the bird could manage with its little body. It was as if it was telling us something or warning about something. Without pondering too much over it, our uneventful tour came to a point where our jeep driver who was also our tour guide had to choose one of the two routes on the diversion. The longer exit route had more forest area while the shorter route would lead us to the road where our vehicle was waiting to reach us back to the resort. Without stopping for a hot cup of tea, we decided to exit via the shorter road route. As we headed further on the route, the prophecy of the little chirper came true. The skies suddenly became dark and as we sped to our resort, the meaning of the chirper’s prophecy translated itself into strong winds almost 50 kmph. The rains started lashing and we felt hail hitting our bodies. The entire route was lined with light trees some of which had started falling on to the road. One such tree fell in front of our moving jeep way before we were about to pass. The adventurous and brave jeep driver Ashraf quickly halted, moved the tree away with brisk hands and sat back in to jeep to drive us to the Dhikuli bridge where our car was waiting.

Without any harm, we got transferred to our car and we thanked him profusely for being God sent and so brave. Adventurous was surely his second name and numb our condition after this rescue in Dev bhoomi. As our vehicle proceeded towards our resort, it was going to be another 30 mins towards the Dhela gate. Soon we were stopped by traffic ahead and after a light wait we were told that none of the vehicles would be moving ahead as a huge tree trunk had blocked the road ahead. The storm had certainly performed its duty well! But this time, the width of the tree was so huge that no adventurous guy could move it away from the path. District officials were being called as this needed huge professional cutters to get it out of the way. As we sat there still trying to digest what had just happened, came a knock on the car window informing us that our resort vehicle was waiting on the other side of the tree to take us back.

THE CORBETT VIEW RESORT

With a huge sigh of relief, we made our way beyond the tree and exited the mayhem. Hoping all others would reach their resorts too.

[screamtrain]

Here’s a very grainy picture of the little guy (he’s actually pretty sizable) who’s been hanging out in and around the garden since before Christmas.

(I’ve yet to be able to get pictures of the pine martens, mink and sea otters that have also been leaving tracks but I’m holding out patience)

[heatherwitch]

My mammal tracks and sign posts by species:

Beaver (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

Black Bear (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

Bobcat (x) (x) (x) (x)

Cottontail (x) (x) (x)

Cougar (x) (x) (x)

Coyote (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

Deer (x) (x) (x) (x)

Domestic Cat (x)

(Buck) (x) (x)

(Fawn) (x) (x)

Elk (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

Kangaroo Rat (x)

Mink (x) (x) (x)

Mole (x)

Moose (x) (x)

Mouse (x) (x) (x) (x)

Muskrat (x) (x) (x)

Opossum (x) (x)

Pine Marten (x) (x)

Porcupine (x) (x) (x)

Prairie Dog (x)

Raccoon (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

Rat (x)

River Otter (x) (x) (x) (x)

Snowshoe Hare (x)

Striped Skunk (x) (x)

Squirrel (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

Vole (x) (x)

Wolf (x) (x) (x) (x)

Other tracking posts:

My bird tracks and sign posts by species

My reptile, amphibian, insect, etc. tracks and sign posts by species

Wildlife tracking masterpost

Last updated December of 2023, check original post for updates!