la-vie-en-rose Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 Today a large black animal ran across the road in front of us.It was bigger than a domestic cat, with a long black tail. I would guess the body, excluding the tail, was about 40 cms. Tail a similar length.Its gait was more like a weasel's than a cat's, it had a humpy undulating run.Any ideas?We live in the South-East of the Gers, in the country.PSHas anyone else noticed a dearth of all swallows, house-martens and swifts this year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 Did it look like this ?.........http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/species/European_Polecat#p007xt1g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mme poivre Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 we have house martins nesting on our house in uk at the moment JX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 I can never tell which of the three they are, I just call them hirondelles; but there are a lot which fly around where we live, and the evening sky is busy with them when we go for a walk. Having said that, there are a lot fewer than last year and the year before. I haven't noticed any bats yet either; they've normally been in evidence before now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la-vie-en-rose Posted May 30, 2010 Author Share Posted May 30, 2010 Alas I can't get the details on my computer - but no, I don't think so.We are VERY familiar with the fouine (killed all my chickens last December) and this was much larger and darker.Glad to hear some-one's got hirondelles - i believe they are in freefall decline, so whatever we can do to help, we should. I wonder if the Mairies could help by taking off all that netting they put on public buildings to prevent nesting.Does any-one know if there is a movement to do this? Has any-one tried? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mary Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 what about a coypou or the french call it a ragondin I think. I saw one and thought it was an otter, to be told I was wrong. A large type of rat, that the Uk and French, perhaps all europe and trying to cull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la-vie-en-rose Posted May 30, 2010 Author Share Posted May 30, 2010 Good idea but I doubt it very much - it ran too fast, and was too slim and undulating for a coypu - plus the tail was wrong.Thanks for the idea, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert the InfoGipsy Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Actually ragondins have more in common with beavers than rats. There's a pair breeding just down the road from us and they look slightly comical. That said, the UK wiped them out decades ago (there used to be a price on their heads) because they cause so much damage to river banks and aquatic plants. You can buy ragondin paté in the Vendée, but they're a bit odd down there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Albert, they are still around.http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/exotics-stats_tcm6-4154.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la-vie-en-rose Posted May 31, 2010 Author Share Posted May 31, 2010 I think I'm right in saying that ragodin are coypu, native to South America, and brought to Europe to control the very thing they set about to destroy - the weedy river and canal banks. (They are vegetarian.)We are not very good custodians of the planet, are we?Any more ideas about the big black something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedon Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 Could it have been a wild mink? They are not uncommon in the UK but not sure about France.http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=north%20american%20mink&btnG=Search&cr=countryUK%7CcountryGB&sa=N&tab=wiThese pictures are of North American mink but I would imagine French ones look the same[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la-vie-en-rose Posted June 1, 2010 Author Share Posted June 1, 2010 I guess it might be - if mink grow this big?It would certainly fit the bill in all other respects.Can some-one say what the average mink size is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 The likelihood is that your creature was an American mink, (same as in the UK.)Swallows are not in free-fall, that would be an exaggeration, decline yes but for a combination of reasons.http://www.oiseaux.net/oiseaux/hirondelle.rustique.htmlhttp://www.oiseaux.net/oiseaux/hirondelle.de.fenetre.htmlCoypu were introduced into the wild in France by accident from fur farms.Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 I've looked at those links to swallows Chris, thanks for those. I only see them from below, as they soar rapidly above our apartment block, making it difficult to decide which they are. Now we have binoculars here with us it might be easier! [:)] Just around the corner is a Rue des Hirondelles; when we go for an evening stroll there are many to be seen. There are mostly villas around there and not as many trees as in our garden, which mask them from our window; for the last couple of years the sky looked very full of them, but this year there are fewer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 I was a bit tired last night when I posted and I rarely use this forum now because I have to change browsers to be able to post. The animal could also have been a Polecat, both North American Mink and Polecat would fit the ticket from your brief description.On the "bird front" if you live in a town or larger village you may also have swifts just to confuse the issue.http://www.oiseaux.net/oiseaux/martinet.noir.htmland near some rivers, old quarries etc.. Sand martin...http://www.oiseaux.net/oiseaux/hirondelle.de.rivage.htmlThis year has been bad for all of them in France, Swifts, Swallows and House martins with many birds starving due to the poor weather, cold spring and lack of insects. No doubt the number of young will be reduced substantially as well.Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la-vie-en-rose Posted June 2, 2010 Author Share Posted June 2, 2010 Thankyou Chris - I was so pleased to see your response.I'll settle for the mink - I know the polecat and don't think it was this.We have so few of the swallows, swifts, martins and so on that I am relieved to hear of any sightings.Hope people will keep cats away from the young...I live in hope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedon Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 Relatively easy to spot the difference between swallows, swifts and house martins but here is a link for you to see the difference.http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/swallow/index.aspxI could have explained, but each time I do so, some grumpy old wotname takes umbrage at my explanations[kiss] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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