I love mustelids and I love seeing new species. This encounter provided both, as I’d never seen a stoat (a.k.a., Eurasian ermine) before. We were on our way up the slopes in Mongolia to scope for snow leopards when our guide spied a white hot dog in the distance. It disappeared down a hole, so I staked it out for an hour (lying on my belly the whole time), only to get fleeting glimpses as it peeked out once or twice. We returned to our vehicle, but with the scopes already set up, we just hung out at the top of the hill for a while… admittedly, for me this involved hiding inside with a warm mug of tea most of the time.
Another hour passed, and suddenly I saw the stoat again. It had re-emerged and came bounding in our direction. Over the next 60-90 minutes (I lost track), it proceeded to bounce all over the hillside, investigating different burrows, and eventually catching a pika. We needed every minute of that prolonged encounter, as it’s quite challenging nailing sharp shots with such a small, lightning fast subject.
Taken in November, by the way… you can see the last remnants of yellowish fur in places as it completes its transition to a winter coat.
I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to get this photo. But, so rewarding. It is so precious. The monotone of the rest of the photo and the lovely blurred background really set the stoat off. Congratulations!
This is sheer perfection. I’ve only shot a weasel once and it was in its winter coat as well. So quick and tiny so this is really a testament to skill and perseverance. What a terrific shot. I can’t think of anything to make it better. Print it.
This is superb, Max. I really like the contrast of the black eyes and nose with the white fur. And the pose sums up the creature’s curiosity perfectly.
Whoa, what a beautiful shot of this lovely creature!!! I’m so happy you spent the time to capture him. The BG blends in perfectly. I have never seen a stoat, so thank you for posting this image.
Max this image is an achievement. I just love the story behind it and you captured the Stoat sharply in its natural environment. It is a conservation photo story also filled with awe and wonder!
SO adorable! I love your shot and the patience that you showed to get it. It was worth it. I have one shot of one, running across snow at Yellowstone last winter. I had wanted to see one everytime we went, and never did. Finally, we were driving to Cook City and I saw one! I yelled “a minky thing, a minky thing” and was ready to jump from the moving car! lol They knew what I meant by Minky Thing b/c that is the only thing I could think of to say in my excitement! LOL…I got a pix or two before it went down into the hole, never to be seen again. I said “even if its blurry, I’m keeping it!” It was clear thankfully and turned out well despite shooting into the sun. They are fast and once they go down the hole…forget it. So good for you that you got it!
Ha ha. Made my driver slam on his breaks before I did a face plant out of the moving car. I always remember the technical names. Not. Lol. Leads for an exciting trip as everyone else has NO idea what they will actually be seeing when they get out of the rig!
