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When we pulled into our yard just before Thanksgiving we got out of the car and noticed two dead mice lying right in the middle of the road. They weren’t frozen so I knew something had just killed their Thanksgiving Day meal.

Whatever it was we must have scared it off when we drove up. I checked the trees for owls but none were around. Before long here comes a weasel or ermine in its winter coat of white. It really stood out without any snow on the ground. The only part of its fur that doesn’t change color in winter is the black tip on the tail. Weasels are brown in the summer.

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The mice disappeared as the weasel scampered between the logs caching its prey.

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Weasels may have cute little faces but they are fierce hunter’s often-killing critters twice their size.

Notice the engorged deer tick on this weasel’s right ear.

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The next day I noticed the weasel collecting cedar chips. I have heard of squirrels lining their nests with cedar to help control parasites but didn’t know that weasels did this also. It collected several chips while I was photographing it.

You may notice that the deer tick has fallen off but its ear looks infected from the bite.

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