Who's Poo?

goosey · #1 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 03:55 PM

I was in an exact place I have visited so many time before, but for the first time ever noticed these droppings, I can honestly say I have never seen these anywhere in the NP before today. They were 2cm long and an elongated torpedo shape and you can see grass and plant remains in it. They were found on a grassy and mossy bank on very sandy soil. There were also rabbit droppings around - I know what they look like.
I would be most interested to know what was lurking so close and I didn't see!

paul m · #2 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 05:29 PM

Looks very much like most deer droppings but somewhat small? I know very little about this topic. Do you have coypu (or have I asked that before)?

goosey · #3 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul m

Looks very much like most deer droppings but somewhat small? I know very little about this topic. Do you have coypu (or have I asked that before)?

Nope, you haven't asked me that before and we don't have Coypu here.
We have fallow deer though, I would have thought these droppings would have been too small for deer - but I don't have a clue about these sort of things either.

paul m · #4 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goosey

Nope, you haven't asked me that before and we don't have Coypu here.
We have fallow deer though, I would have thought these droppings would have been too small for deer - but I don't have a clue about these sort of things either.

Yes, I think too small even for muntjaks ... perhaps they eat less at this time of year? Sorry, nothing constructive to add.

I suppose I shold have made some pun on the coypu in this context

goosey · #5 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul m

Yes, I think too small even for muntjaks ... perhaps they eat less at this time of year? Sorry, nothing constructive to add.

I am pretty certain there are no muntjaks here - never heard of them being in the area, that doesn't mean much though.
Thanks for looking and thinking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul m

I suppose I shold have made some pun on the coypu in this context

I didn't notice it myself either - what a waste!

vogel · #6 (**permalink**) 07-02-2009, 05:19 AM

Goosie they look very much like deer droppings, all deer droppings are that shape almost pointed at one end and black in colour with a wet shine to them which dries quickly. hare and rabbit are as you say small and round more brown in colour, fox and badger are longer and drier and light coloured ,now dont get me wrong im no poo poo expert lol, but my moneys on deer.

H Dogg · #7 (**permalink**) 07-02-2009, 03:23 PM

These are from fallow deer. Winter deer droppings are pellets like these. Interesting that there are so few normally in larger piles.

goosey · #8 (**permalink**) 07-02-2009, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H Dogg

These are from fallow deer. Winter deer droppings are pellets like these. Interesting that there are so few normally in larger piles.

These are just as they were found, there were more but dispersed over the area in individuals or small groups - no big piles. What surprises me is that they were in the open, hardly any cover in the immediate area for the deer - but lovely and grassy.
Thanks H for the confirmation and Paul and Vogel for your thoughts which were right

!

Why would winter droppings be so different than the summer - diet?

H Dogg · #9 (**permalink**) 07-02-2009, 07:50 PM

Yes the summer diet is less bark, twigs etc and more vegetation so tends to be more sticky so the droppings clump together. Its not uncommon for droppings to be randomly dispersed but more often than not they are clumped at this time of year. The open area is probrably where they feed at night so they are under the cover of darkness.