Stoats are widely distributed throughout rural Derbyshire.  They are a small mammal with a sausage-shaped body and short legs, and are usually coloured gingery brown.  On our walk today the stoat we saw moving amongst the heather on the edge of the moorland was pure white with just a black tip to its tail.  Stoats in upland areas do sometimes turn white during the winter to camouflage themselves against the snow.  This little creature had been left highly conspicuous as the moorland snow in this area has now melted.  Unfortunately it was camera shy so we didn’t manage to get a photograph.

Later in the week on Kinder Scout we will be looking out for mountain hares with their silvery white winter coats.