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Summer Coat


Summer Coat
Photo Information
Copyright: Karan Little (hester) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1515 W: 18 N: 3165] (11638)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-03-05
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon 40D, Canon 100 - 400 L IS USM
Exposure: f/6.3, 1/200 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-04-05 11:23
Viewed: 8337
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 72
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Only last month these stoats were displaying their winter ermine coats now they have their summer colours.

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BBC info on Stoat:
Stoat, ermine, short-tailed weasel
Mustela erminea
In winter, the stoat's fur turns completely white, except for the black tip to its tail. During this time, they are called 'ermine'.



Life span
Up to 10 years.



Statistics
Head and body length: 16-31cm, Weight (UK): 90-445g.



Physical Description
Stoats have a long slim body, and a long tail, the end of which is almost always black. The fur is chestnut brown in summer, with a lighter underside. Males are larger than females.



Distribution
Stoats are found across Northern Europe and the UK. They are absent from Mediterranean countries and Southern Europe. They are considered to be the most widespread mustelid.



Habitat
They prefer moorland, marsh near woods, lowland farms, shoreline or mountains as suitable habitats.



Diet
Stoats are largely carnivorous, and eat rodents such as voles and mice, as well as rabbits and birds. They kill by a bite to the back of the neck, and may travel as far as 8km in one hunt.



Behaviour
Stoat dens can be in hollow trees, burrows or rock crevices, for example in dry stone walls. The female is territorial in the breeding season, but males are not. Stoats have a good sense of sight, smell and hearing, which they use to help them hunt.

Reproduction
Stoats mate in May/June. Implantation of the fertilised egg in the wall of the uterus is delayed for 280 days, but the gestation period after this is just 21-28 days, so the young are born in April/May the following year.

The litter is typically between 5 and 12 kits. The young are weaned at five weeks, and are fully independent and able to kill their own prey at 12 weeks. Males will sometimes mate with young female kits in the nest, so that they are pregnant before they even leave their mothers.
gracious, nglen, Necipp, gerbilratz, pekkavalo1, mariki, boreocypriensis, jaycee, cobbydale, eqshannon, CeltickRanger, Proframe, Alex99, SelenE, jmp, SkyF, angela926, fartash, Maite has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello my friend,
Good morning from NZ!
thank you so much for this lovely posting of Stoat in it's beautiful summer colour!
perfect pose with total sharpness and details
well done
have a great sunday over there!
cheers
Tony

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2883 W: 30 N: 9683] (36145)
  • [2008-04-05 11:33]

Hi karen This Stoat looks so fine its summer coat. which you have captured so well good detail and colours. with a glint of light in the eye. I like the way his little head is tilted . well done tFS.
Nick..

Hello Karan this is a cute close shot good focus on the eyes nice eye contact, nicely framed with the grass, the dof is fine shallow. tfs rgds Necip

Hi Karan,
Very pretty shot. Technically perfect picture.Excellent composition. This is such an amazing view. Well done. tfs. Stev

Must admit, you have some very obliging stoats! I have been trying to get one here, and all I get is it's rear end disappearing amongst the stones in the wall... I shall give up and look at your's...it's perfect..nuff said!! regards h

Hello Karen,

Difficult target in my experience and you have managed to freeze one in action. Very good shapness, colours and pose.

TFS

Pekka

  • Great 
  • Marx44 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 172 W: 97 N: 926] (3891)
  • [2008-04-05 11:54]

Very good picture

Very good POV, colours and composition.

Hello Hester,
Lovely capture my friend! as usual- excellent details, nice POV and DOF! TFS.
Greetings,
Bayram

  • Great 
  • Hil Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 696 W: 13 N: 1407] (5035)
  • [2008-04-05 12:10]

Hi Karan

Wonderful shot of the Stoat, nicely composed and a excellent POV, its alovely pose with the Stoat posing amongst the grass with such a sweet expression on its this, lovely details, great colours and a nice catchlight in the eye.

Have a great Weekend!
Hil

  • Great 
  • jesst Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 368 W: 0 N: 172] (2441)
  • [2008-04-05 12:43]

Beautiful animal, wonderful photo

This is a great shot Karan. The stoat is captured beautifully, with his face nice and sharp to provide a good focal point of attention.
cheers
Leon

  • Great 
  • Nilson Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 488 W: 0 N: 566] (4423)
  • [2008-04-05 13:50]

Exelente foto um olhar meigo como estivesse pedindo algo parabéns pos esta magnifica foto.
Nilson

Elegante trabajo Karan, donde a mi parecer destacan claramente los colores bien combinados.El cuerpo, a pesar de estar algo desenfocado tiene su interés para apreciar algo la longitud del curioso cuerpo del mamífero. Captura supongo dificil y por supuesto oportuna.
Un abrazo: J. Ignasi

Cute and lovely as ever, Karan.
Well done
TFS
Annick

good shot, great focus and detail. it feels tilted to the side, maybe straighten it up a little so it doesn't feel so tilted

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1739 W: 224 N: 6872] (24909)
  • [2008-04-05 14:19]

What a lovely image of this Stoat!
The slightly cocked head and expression is priceless!
Razor-sharp details and stunning clarity.
Very good DOF too.
I like how you've got down to his level... makes it much more natural.
Nice colours and light.
Well done Karan!
TFS!

Joe

Hola Karan.
Fantástica imagen.
Bellos tonos y detalles.
Buen bg y estupendo DoF.
Saludos, JL.

10 years is not bad Karan....they live a long time. I wonder if that includes the illegal and if so legal taking of them...which is always much too bad...which is why I liked Paul McCartney's wife:-)
Bob

  • Great 
  • darwin Gold Star Critiquer [C: 259 W: 0 N: 403] (1401)
  • [2008-04-05 16:58]

Hi Karen
Very nice and cute capture of this stoat with
excellent sharpness and details
Lovely natural color
tfs jon

hello Karan

lovely shot of this cute animal, with fine POV and framing,
excellent DOF, i love the expression of his face
on his eye-contact with you, TFS

Asbed

Hello Karan,

What a beautiful image of this lovely Weasel peeping through the grassess.
Great clarity in the eyes and wonderful color contrast.
Excellent composition and note. TFS!!!

Best regards and have a nice Sunday, Harry

Hello Karan,

A very beautiful portrait of this cute stoat. Excellent composition. Very good sharpness.
Superb colours, very nice with this black background.
Cheers,
Mariki

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2008-04-06 1:23]

Hello Karan,
Wonderful composition and distribution in colours. The contrasting colours are amazing. DOF, pose, POV and sharpness are all excellent.
Very beautiful!
Regards,
Peter

Hello Karan,
They indeed have wonderful fur coats!
And here the animal is captured with perfect details, the colour palette is attractive...
Good pose and the composition enhances the little fellow nicely!
Greetings,
Pablo -

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2454 W: 10 N: 8044] (25460)
  • [2008-04-06 8:39]

Hi Karan,

A wonderful Stoat looking at us from above the grass. His summer coat is lovely. And that face - cutest thing in the world. I love those eyes and the adorable nose. Excellent natural shot with fine details.

Jane

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2008-04-06 8:44]

Hi Karan.
You have created a fine gallery of this charming model. It is really skill model. I am amazed with its pose, head inclination and sweet glance. Dark BG and light FG are superb as well as the image of the animal. My congratulations and compliments.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2249 W: 65 N: 4205] (13972)
  • [2008-04-06 9:19]

Hi Karan,
Expression you've captured is lovely. I liked the eye contact,composition, POV and the details. TFS
Greetings,
Selen

Bet they wish they had their ermine coats today! Lovely picture of this chappie.

Hi Karan, lovely portrait of this cute creature with splendid sharpness, very well done, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1659 W: 95 N: 2273] (8415)
  • [2008-04-07 14:00]

Hi Karan,
A very attractive animal skillfully captured. Pose, composition, exposure, colours... a great job!
TFS, José M.

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1137 W: 26 N: 3879] (13882)
  • [2008-04-08 3:05]

Hi Karan,
once again you got the cute factor down to a T! Just look at that tilted head! Aside from that, it's a good shot techinally as well. Nice detail, great setting and the DOF and focus are both very good.
well done!
Paul

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2234 W: 188 N: 1912] (8073)
  • [2008-04-08 6:22]

Hi Karan,
a darling shot, the little weasel gives you such a wonderful pose.
Great colors and fabulous sharp detail.
The composition is lovely.
Sky

Hello Karan,
Fantasic capture of this cute little guy, superb
sharpness and clarity, beautiful colors, nice details, excellent composition, good point of view, great pose
and nice light.
Angela

Hello Karan
What a wonderful scene you captured,
Perfect focusing,composition and BG.Superb shot my friend.

Regards
Fartash

Hello Karan
This is a great picture for all, specy, sharpness and details, great work,
Cheers.
Jorge

  • Great 
  • Maite Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 998 W: 65 N: 1270] (5199)
  • [2008-05-19 13:37]

I see you have posted a lot of pictures these days and I like a lot all of them, but very specially I like the photos of the stoat. How beautiful!! And how amazing and perfecly made!! It looks really professional in all aspects. I have no words to say how much I like it!
Thank you very much for this marvell, dear Karan.
Greetings
Maite

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