We’re potty about pine martens!
Creatures have had run of family home for 18 years
THEY may live far from the madding crowd, but Les and Chris Humphreys are never short of visitors.
Wild pine martens have come to the couple’s home on the Ardnamurchan peninsula ever since they retired there in 2004.
Generations of the creatures have been carefully documented by the Humphreys, former farmers, on film and in a daily diary.
Most remain regular visitors during their lifetime, one for 13 years. While some remain in the garden, others venture into the house.
Mr Humphreys, 81, said: ‘We have cameras all round the house and we have video footage recording during the day.
‘When there is nothing on the TV we just switch over to pine marten television.’
The couple spend a small fortune on eggs – a favourite pine marten food – as well as raisins, grapes and digestive biscuits.
Mr Humpreys added: ‘One particular pine marten was coming in when we left the window open and, if I fell asleep on the sofa, it would come up looking for eggs.
‘My son Tim lay out on the sofa and it did the same thing and took an egg from his chest.’ But the pine martens are not their only wild visitors. Mr Humphreys said: ‘We have 60 species of birds here and we have seen otters, deer, badgers and a fox.’