For the record, this is a story that I’ve been sitting on for months. So much was happening this summer that things started to pile up in my to-do pile and I made the decision to set this one aside until things quieted down in the autumn. Well, the slowdown has finally arrived, which leaves a perfect opening for a topic that I haven’t focused on for many years. So many species, so little time.
It was one of those gorgeous mornings in late August that we all remember fondly. When I arrived at my thinking chair at 6:50 a.m., the temperature was a delicious 53 degrees Fahrenheit and the sky was pure azure as far as the eye could see. All of the “regulars” were in attendance and the flowers were blooming despite the lack of rain. The birds were quiet, but the crickets were singing quietly in the background and the air was thick with the perfume of plants and earth.
At just about 8 a.m., I had observed a total of 19 species of birds and I was preparing myself for a second hour of birding when I caught a movement on the trail way out in front of me. This is the spot where the water from my bowl-shaped meadow drains out and there is the very beginning of a suggestion of a stream channel at the lowest point. I had placed a 2-by 8-foot plank at this location so that I could cross the wet spot without getting my feet wet and this piece of lumber was popular with all of the little creatures in the meadow. However, nothing had really prepared me for the events that unfolded before my eyes.
A long, dark shape made a sudden dash across the exposed area where I keep the trail mowed and I was pretty sure that I knew what it was. Unfortunately, the event was so brief that I hadn’t had a chance to bring my camera into action. Fortunately, I was pretty sure what was going to happen next and I was able to lock onto this spot just as the animal returned. I made a few random “squeaky” noises with my mouth and the little animal stopped, turned in my direction, and then approached. It was a weasel and it was following the same pattern of behavior that I had seen from a mink just a year earlier.
The weasel was quite small and it seemed almost impossibly slender. This presented a bit of a problem for me because there are two species of weasels that might be found in our area: the short-tailed weasel (Mustela erminea) and the long-tailed weasel (Neogale frenata). Their appearance is almost identical except for their body size, but without being able to weigh or measure the animal I was in a bit of a pickle. As their names suggest, there is a difference in the relative lengths of their tails, but the weasel didn’t pause out in the open where I could get a look at its tail. So, based on the diminutive size of the individual I saw, I can guess that it was probably a short-tailed.
That sighting marked only the fifth time in my entire life that I have actually seen a weasel for more than a fleeting moment. My first weasel sighting was back in 1998 when I worked at the Notch Visitor Center of the Holyoke Range State Park. I was headed out to the woodpile and there was a gorgeous weasel that was clearly of the long-tailed variety. Years later, I had a similar experience at my own home when I found a weasel exploring the deck by my front door. During the first spring of COVID-19, I saw a weasel bounding across my front lawn, and then in 2023 and 2025, I saw (and photographed) weasels crossing the low spot in the meadow.
The difference between the two weasels is based totally on their body size, which has an impact on the top end of the prey species they can try to tackle. The smaller short-tailed weasel, with a body length between 6 and 12 inches, sticks to the smallest mammals like mice, voles, shrews and young rabbits. The larger long-tailed weasel, with a body length between 12 and 18 inches, can add adult rabbits, snowshoe hares and squirrels to its list of possible prey. I know that my meadow is simply crawling with voles, shrews, mice and rabbits, so there is a bonanza just waiting for any weasel that cares to drop by.
The amazing thing about the weasel sighting was its brevity. The data at my disposal suggests that the animal was only visible for about 14 seconds. Even more interesting was the sighting in 2023, when a weasel appeared in the same spot at the same time of day. The 2023 sighting was on Aug. 21 at 8 a.m., while the 2025 sighting was on Aug. 22 at 7:58 a.m. I think I can expect my next weasel sighting on Aug. 23, 2027 at 7:56 a.m.! Before then, it is time to shift gears.
The weather has definitely changed enough to keep me in the house most mornings, but I have switched to my winter thinking chair by the windows that look out onto my deck. There is plenty of activity at the feeders to keep me occupied and, of course, the promise of the arrival of the winter finches keeps me engaged in the bird life out there. A quiet morning with a cup of coffee and a nice window to look through is a great way to spend a cold November morning. Give it a try and see what you see.