Richard Muirhead Posted July 31, 2018 Report Share Posted July 31, 2018 Hello, I am going to visit rural Devon with a friend some time this August and we want to spend 1 week trying to see if we can find any evidence of the mammal the pine marten,even the beech marten and also the large mystery cats that have been seen from time to time in places such as Exmoor.Or any other unexpected fauna that we come across. If anyone has any information,especially re the martens, my friend Carl and I would be most interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinfireman Posted July 31, 2018 Report Share Posted July 31, 2018 2 hours ago, Richard Muirhead said: Hello, I am going to visit rural Devon with a friend some time this August and we want to spend 1 week trying to see if we can find any evidence of the mammal the pine marten,even the beech marten and also the large mystery cats that have been seen from time to time in places such as Exmoor.Or any other unexpected fauna that we come across. If anyone has any information,especially re the martens, my friend Carl and I would be most interested. The Hound of the Baskervilles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westward Posted July 31, 2018 Report Share Posted July 31, 2018 Pine martens are famously difficult to spot but they have been caught on video in devon and cornwall. Also there are plans to reintroduce them to the Forest of Dean with the hope that they'll link up genetically with the colonies in Wales. Incidentally, they won't co-exist with grey squirrels and the greys end up drastically reduced in numbers which can only be a good thing. As for big cats they too are mostly chance sightings. I was with 2 of my sons walking home from the pub one August bank holiday and we all saw a big black cat like a puma loping through Ruscombe wood near Stroud in Gloucestershire but there was no chance of getting a pic. Good luck with your mission. Hope you succeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted August 1, 2018 Report Share Posted August 1, 2018 5 hours ago, Westward said: Pine martens are famously difficult to spot but they have been caught on video in devon and cornwall. Also there are plans to reintroduce them to the Forest of Dean with the hope that they'll link up genetically with the colonies in Wales. Incidentally, they won't co-exist with grey squirrels and the greys end up drastically reduced in numbers which can only be a good thing. As for big cats they too are mostly chance sightings. I was with 2 of my sons walking home from the pub one August bank holiday and we all saw a big black cat like a puma loping through Ruscombe wood near Stroud in Gloucestershire but there was no chance of getting a pic. Good luck with your mission. Hope you succeed. Think Pine Martins as the silver bullet for greys is up for debate, there looking or have started releasing them in areas with red squirrels but opinion is divided, they will happily eat any colour squirrel and are doing. They might find it easier to catch greys but a nest full of red kits isn't going to run away. One was recently filmed enjoyed a meal from an osprey nest that was very high up, and i keep saying look at New Zealand and what has happened with stoats and there ground nesting birds. I also read an article last week on how in New Zealand they deliberately bread and introduced ferrets into the wild to try and reduce the rabbit population only it back fired big time, but the numbers of rabbits they were catching was unbelievable. Folk not ferrets ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Boggy Posted August 1, 2018 Report Share Posted August 1, 2018 14 hours ago, Richard Muirhead said: Hello, I am going to visit rural Devon with a friend some time this August and we want to spend 1 week trying to see if we can find any evidence of the mammal the pine marten,even the beech marten and also the large mystery cats that have been seen from time to time in places such as Exmoor.Or any other unexpected fauna that we come across. If anyone has any information,especially re the martens, my friend Carl and I would be most interested. Why not visit the Cambridgeshire Fens and look for 'Black Shuck'. No doubt many on here have seen him especially after a good night on the ale. OB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyefor Posted August 1, 2018 Report Share Posted August 1, 2018 7 hours ago, Mice! said: ...I also read an article last week on how in New Zealand they deliberately breed and introduced ferrets into the wild to try and reduce the rabbit population only it back fired big time..... Reminds me of a townie who moved in to the village for The Good Life and after some time his wife was screaming "there are rats in the hen house". "A ferret will fix the rats" was the advice of the locals in the pub. Except the instruction of "stay here overnight in the hen house and guard the chickens from the rats" was misunderstood by Mr (or Mrs) Ferret. Feathers & dead chickens everywhere... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Muirhead Posted August 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2018 Thanks everyone for your helpful replies,sadly due to my abysmal money management methods I may not be able to go down to Devon with my friend after all ? but if I do and we find anything i`ll let you know here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmboy91 Posted August 2, 2018 Report Share Posted August 2, 2018 We're heading to Devon at the end of the month for a family holiday, I've got my 6 year old hyped up about searching for the beast.... There maybe be some grainy out of focus photos to come.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted August 2, 2018 Report Share Posted August 2, 2018 17 minutes ago, Farmboy91 said: We're heading to Devon at the end of the month for a family holiday, I've got my 6 year old hyped up about searching for the beast.... There maybe be some grainy out of focus photos to come.... Make something to make PAW prints with, your kid will be amazed ? ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted August 2, 2018 Report Share Posted August 2, 2018 On 31/07/2018 at 20:25, Westward said: Pine martens are famously difficult to spot but they have been caught on video in devon and cornwall. Also there are plans to reintroduce them to the Forest of Dean with the hope that they'll link up genetically with the colonies in Wales. Incidentally, they won't co-exist with grey squirrels and the greys end up drastically reduced in numbers which can only be a good thing. As for big cats they too are mostly chance sightings. I was with 2 of my sons walking home from the pub one August bank holiday and we all saw a big black cat like a puma loping through Ruscombe wood near Stroud in Gloucestershire but there was no chance of getting a pic. Good luck with your mission. Hope you succeed. Bah gum, t'is strong stuff that Gloucestershire cider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShootingEgg Posted August 2, 2018 Report Share Posted August 2, 2018 Could always visit the donkey sanctuary... Not unusual but loads of them and some good walks around their grounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmboy91 Posted August 2, 2018 Report Share Posted August 2, 2018 2 hours ago, Mice! said: Make something to make PAW prints with, your kid will be amazed ? ? Hmmm I might do, although when we was in Weymouth a badger ran past our caravan when we was walking back from the evening entertainment and he filled he's pants so to speak ? He wouldn't go to bed till I'd been round the bushes with a torch to make sure it was gone haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehb102 Posted August 2, 2018 Report Share Posted August 2, 2018 Aren't there wallabies in the Exeter area? The Gov list of animal sightings had them as confirmed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted August 2, 2018 Report Share Posted August 2, 2018 There are reports of migratory grockles in the south west just now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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