Bog Myrtle & Peat

The mink traps have been ticking over on the riverside, and I was satisfied to catch up with another last week. This latest mink was a juvenile female, implying that there is a resident population in the vicinity. As I’ve started to explore the surrounding area over the past few weeks of autumn, I’ve found all kinds of minkish signs – scats and fresh footprints run all along the ditches and around the riversides.

Most of the scats suggest that the mink are currently dining on rabbits, but this is probably a seasonal factor and I’ve no doubt that they will be hitting prey according to an ever-changing calendar. It’s crucial that I get on top of these invaders, and the occasional chance encounter with a kingfisher or a dipper on the burn provides a strong incentive to push on. Neither stands a chance against a determined mink, but the worst losers are usually water voles. The deep network of ditches and drains which runs across this landscape seem to provide some ideal vole habitat, but there is no chance of helping “ratty” while mink continue to rule the roost.