Defeated by mustelids

June 2026

Mustelids are a family of carnivorous mammals which in the UK includes stoats, weasels, badgers, otters, polecats and pine martens. Apart from the pine marten, which doesn’t live in these parts, we’ve had the lot in our pond!

The only reason we haven’t had grisons and wolverines, which are also mustelids, is because they live on different continents. However no doubt when they do make their way here they’ll make a beeline for our pond.

So we have an abundance of mustelids. What we do not have are ducks, moorhens, chicks, ducklings, eggs, reed warblers or anything else that normally lives on or near the water. The mustelids have eaten them…

They are ace predators: They can swim, climb and squeeze through the tiniest of gaps, so I really should admire them, which I would if I wasn’t so fed up with them.

You may recall that a few months ago we caught and re-located a polecat, but where there is one polecat there will be more, and a whole bunch of them no doubt. No sooner had polecat number one been re-located a few miles away than a stoat turned up. Again I’m sure they hang out in groups. And the weasel that we saw running across the field… Where was he going? To the pond of course.

We have a permanent population of badgers; did you know they could swim too? So no doubt they’ve been having the odd dip in the pond. And I have evidence from missing bird feeders that they can climb.

Regular visits from an otter – which makes a diversion from the nearby river – just puts the tin hat on it!

I give up – over to you mustelids!

Jen

The Pond