Long-tailed Weasel in Winter White

Long-tailed Weasel on a hillside – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/500, ISO 640, +1.0, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I write about nemesis birds, birds that I have had a hard time seeing and photographing in my local area such as getting the Golden Eagle images that I have desired for such a long time but I don’t often write about mammals that are a nemesis to me.

I have photos of Long-tailed Weasels, both in their summer and winter coats, I just don’t have the images of them that I hope to get so I still consider them a nemesis. I don’t see them often and when I do I am often unable to even get one image of them before they scamper off leaving me feeling deflated because I missed once again. Long-tailed Weasels move fast and they don’t stay out in the open all that long but I keep trying.

This past summer I saw two weasels chasing each other south on the auto tour route at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in their brown summer coats but I just could not move past them in my Jeep fast enough to stop and focus on them before they scurried past me.

I was able to photograph a Long-tailed Weasel in its white winter coat two years ago at Farmington Bay WMA and although I liked the images they really weren’t what I truly desire. One day I’d love full frame images of a weasel in its white winter coat on a mound of fluffy snow in soft morning light.

I’ve been keeping my eye out for them again lately because by now they are in their white winter coats again. Maybe I will finally get the images of these beautiful mustelids that I have been dreaming off. Then again, maybe not.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Long-tailed Weasel photos plus facts and information about this species.