One of our favourite beaches is the shelly beach to the northeast of Sanna, caught behind the headland called
Rubha an Duin Bhain, looking straight across a wide bay to the opposite headland of
Rubha Carrach. At the back of the beach is an area of
machair, shell-sand soil closely grazed by the sheep.
We were sitting on the beach today with the family, enjoying a picnic in the sunshine, when we noticed something moving in the grass at the top of the beach, in an area where the sheep had scooped out the shell soil to form a niche in which to lie.
A mink was watching us, having been attracted by our scent or the smell of our food. It approached a little closer, hiding itself in a small hollow, then....
....set off to the right, running....
....across the open grassland towards a great gash in the headland which leads down to the sea....
....into which it disappeared.
It later returned, carrying something in its mouth.
When it had gone again, we went up to investigate the area where the mink had been moving, and found....
....a hole dug into the sand bank, probably a nest in which it's bringing up its young.
What amazing /superb photos.
ReplyDeleteShould it be trapped and dispatched?
An alien sp ..they do so much harm to our native birds and animals.
Sheila
Just wondering, Jon, have you had a look round that area for exposed prehistoric shell middens?
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your comment, Sheila. I agree with you that it should be destroyed, but it's on croft land so the crofters would have to agree to do it.
ReplyDeleteWe are always looking for middens but the only one we have located was a small one in the dunes at Sanna.
Jon