Stoat sandwich - Ari Tervo - Wildlife Photographer of the Year2007

2007: Urban Wildlife - Highly Commended

Ari Tervo Enlarge image Stoat sandwich

Ari Tervo (Finland)

Stoat sandwich

'When I heard a stoat was scavenging scraps under a friend's bird table in the city of Kajaani, Finland, I set up watch, armed with bread. The stoat soon got the hang of retrieving slices, but she moved so fast it took several hours and 20 slices for me to get the shot.' Stoats are the most widespread of the mustelids, such as weasels, otters and badgers. They are excellent foragers. They can expertly climb a tree to snatch birds or squirrels from their nest, or pluck mice or voles from their burrows. In summer they are a chocolate brown, but are camouflaged in winter when their coats turn white.

Canon EOS 1D Mark II + Canon 100-400 EF f4.5-5.6 L IS lens; 1/500 sec; ISO 400 (+1/3 exposure compensation).