Long-tailed Weasel

Long-tailed weasels are incredibly fast and beautiful creatures, capable of taking down prey much bigger than themselves. Before this week, I’d only seen one in the wild from the car window. It ran into the long grass and vanished. There was zero chance of finding it again, so it remained one that got away. As a result, this week’s shoot felt pretty special.

Weasels are notoriously tricky to find, and I could only locate this one thanks to another kind of photographer. People are often protective of their secret wildlife spots to secure unique images and protect the animals. Building relationships with other photographers on Instagram was pivotal in knowing where to look. Bizarrely, these images weren’t made in the wilderness but in the center circle of a local soccer pitch.

I arrived a couple of hours before sunset and scanned the area. Eventually, I saw something move, and I was able to hone in on a weasel. It continually popped up from different burrows, ran around like it was playing, and even came within a few feet of me while I lay on the grass and framed my shots. When they’re hunting, long-tailed weasels move like greased lightning. I managed a couple of action shots but was happy to get a few sharp, relaxed images.