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The current issue of Lake Superior Magazine has a story about the recovery of the American marten on 7 of the 22 Apostle Islands, Isle Royale National Park and Minnesota.

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The cover features a photo of a marten that I was fortunate to photograph last year. It is an interesting article and I would recommend reading the magazine.

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The author calls them “Adorable Assassins”. They are cute with their teddy bear ears and pointy nose, but look at those claws. As a member of the weasel family they are a voracious predator and can outclimb a squirrel.

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Luckily one appeared at our house this week and two of our granddaughters got to see it. When I looked out the window a squirrel was eating sunflower seeds in front of an cedar log and the marten was hunting at the opposite end. When the marten went into the hollow cedar I thought for sure the squirrel was toast but it fortunately made it safely into a grove of spruce before the marten came out the other end of the log.

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I think the marten is one of my favorite mammals to photograph in the winter.

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Later a second one with a darker face came. I think this one is the female due to its smaller size.

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Notice the orange spot on the chest. All martens have the orange on their chest, however, each has a distinctively different pattern.

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It gave me a passing glance as it left. Their fur is so thick and beautiful.

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