Stoats near Burdons Hill
Stoats near Burdons Hill
Several people have spotted a pair of Stoats near Burdons Hill. Usually quite unobtrusive this pair were either amorous, antagonistic or play-fighting resulting in a fair bit of noise 
and rustling in the hedgerow. Stoats are bigger than Weasels, are chestnut brown above and white underneath with a clear demarcation line. If you manage to see their tails they have a black tip. In the colder parts of North Britain Stoats turn white in Winter where they are referred to as Ermine, possibly derived from Armenia from where their fur was once imported. You will have seen ermine, the fur, because on state occasions the lords wear robes edged with white ermine – look out for the black dots as well each of which represents the tail of an ermine. The number of bars of dots represents rank, a duke having four bars. New peers these days tend to use artificial fur but hereditary peers may re-use the family heirlooms. There is a famous portrait of Queen Elizabeth I by William Segar posing with an ermine on her left arm.
If you have children, say six or over, a story they might enjoy is Trouble in New York (The Travels of Ermine (Who is Very Determined)) by Jennifer Gray. Whilst the kids are unlikely to see an Ermine in Wenvoe (if they do see a cream-coloured animal it is probably a Ferret), they might just see a Stoat if they get out in the countryside on family walks and do not make too much noise!