Small creatures seen in the South Loch Ness area of the Highlands of Scotland.
In the dusk you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the elusive Pine Marten which is about the size of a sleek cat and have been seen near Camerons Cottage and the nearby village of Foyers usually between dusk and nightfall running across the roads. They are easily identifiable by the dark brown fur that contrasts nicely with the creamy light apricot chest area. They eat berries, small mammals and insects and are now partial to the peanuts. They are also very agile climbers and one of the only predators that can catch red squirrels by darting through the trees as it chases them. Red squirrels are abundant in the surrounding coniferous woodland of Foyers and Farigaig Forest as their favourite natural foods are pine cones and hazel nuts. They can often be seen scampering along the tree branches in the forest. Their long bushy tail is used for balance and they have amazing ear tufts at certain times of the year. Also very sharp little claws to assist with climbing and feeding. The young are called kittens and are born in Spring although a second litter can be born in Summer if conditions are right and food is plentiful. We have seen a squirrel carrying its young in its mouth several times in the Spring/Summer months. The young are great fun to watch and often appear together to eat and have fun chasing each other along the branches and up and around the nearby trees.
Brown Hares are often seen in the early morning or at dusk running along the narrow lanes before darting suddenly Although foxes are mainly nocturnal, they might be seen at dusk during the mating season from January to mid February. It is not unusual to hear the triple bark of the dog fox followed by the answering scream of the vixen. They nest in holes in the ground and in dense thickets. At night foxes forage over a wide area often becoming quite bold in winter time in their search for food.
There are plenty of wood mice and field voles inhabiting the forest and fields nearby although they might not Bats are also in the area and can often be seen flying round in the dusk.
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