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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:12 am Post subject: Pine Martens ?
Ok. Yes. Fully protected and not to be trapped. I know. But " General " didn't quite seem to fit it and I figure we animal catchers would probably be the people most likely to have some answers. So .....
I'm guestimating that the Sitka Spruce plantations were probably planted around about within the last twenty years or so? Something like that? Anyone knows better, please let me know. I'm curious.
Point being though, these Pine Martens. I hear they were Reintroduced here? Is that correct? If so, when and where from?
And then the burning question which has rather vexed myself and a few people I've tried to discuss this matter with:
If we had Martens before, like historically ~ and ye the spruces are relatively like 'yesterday' and not natural to Eire ..... What the f*ck did the Pine Martens live in before the plantations were set up?!
See, I know for a personal fact that the martie's run the dry ditches around the bogs. I figure they do that on their way from one plantation to another. Or do they??? I'm wondering; Could we all just be getting blinded by their name? Pine Marten. Beech Martens, on the continent, live all over the place. As happy and at home in someones roof space as in a Beech tree.
Could it be then that Pine Martens are just pretty much like anything else comparable to them? Polecats, say. And that their ability to climb trees is what's made the Scottish ones stick to the old fir forests there? Maybe they stay in those old firs because the hedgerows and ditches (if they have any in Scotland?) were just too hot with Gamekeepers traps?
Ditch i think the spruce forests have been around a bit longer than that probably varies from one end of the country to the next ,i remember seeing quiet a few pine martins as a kid 30 years ago as they are a very quiet and reserved animal i think that modern farming methods removal of ditches ect ,probably ment they had to move to quieter and safer habitat needless to say with all these spruce forest growing up ment that they had the inviorement to thrive and multiply.
Ok; I was basing my guestimate of the plantings simply on the basis that a younger bloke giving me a lift into town said that he'd been employed to plant a local belt. That and the vehemant attitude of an, again younger, local girl. So maybe she was just reacting to what she'd been told of the 'modern' way of planting alian tree's while, as ye say, doing away with native ones?
Would just point out here, for the record, I'm 'english' and have been here only a year. Even my Irish mates described Leitrim as " Medieveil ". And I only really get to see a five mile radius from my own cottage. Maybe we are far more 'original' round here than other parts of the country? We certainly have our ditches and hedges.
Still begs the question though; Where did the original Pine Martens live, if 'Pine' Tree's aren't a common, historical feature of the landscape here?
Come to that; Where were you seeing yours, thirty years ago? And, if in fir plantations, were these old trees? Indeed, would these have been the original Martens? When were they (re)introduced? Any ideas, please? Only I've tried Google and it all comes up a bit vague
The area local to me at that time was about 4 miles from a forest maybe they were travelling out from there to be honest i couldnt tell you what kind of trees were in it although im sure it was mainly soft wood .The immediate area to where i used to see them had little groups of ash and hazel ,ditch and dykes ect maybe the only go to the big forests because it quiet as they are reserved ,back then there wouldnt have not been anythink like as many people floating around the countryside and not as much farmers machinery either to disturb them
Sean; Cheers for that mate! That was bloody brilliant! Can't really wish to know much more about them, can I?
Eoghain; I think, especially having read so much about them there, you're right in ye ascertion. I reckon that's what's going on around here now too. They're simply living where ever. I can see little spits and spots of wooded ground from where I sit. But the plantations are all set a few miles apart.
If I encounter them in the drains and ditches; What are they all doing there? Spending their entire existances commuting across miles of relatively open country between plantations? No. I too reckon they simply thrive in that 'open' country!
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