Polecat / Ferret

Possible polecat at Messingham Sand Quarry two weeks ago that another birder photographed

I have seen polecats on ST nnr 2007 ,on wolds near Scremby 2008; and a friend saw one at Donna Nook 2009

Regards John

Looks like a Polecat to us and we did keep ferrets,(wonderful pets!) . Also we did see one earlier this year with a baby rabbit in its mouth between Louth and Donington on Bain.

Regards Pete and Jackie

Just looked on a few sites , it certainly looks like a polecat :-How to identify
The polecat has a two-tone coat: dark brown guard hairs cover a buff-coloured underfur. It has a distinct bandit-like appearance, with white stripes across its dark face. It has a short, dark tail and rounded ears. Polecats do cross with escaped ferrets; crosses tend to have lighter, creamier fur on their back and more white on their faces, extending past their ears. - This was from Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust - I hadn’t realised we had a population in our County .

Can anyone confirm or otherwise that the picture I took yesterday of a freshly deceased animal is a Ferret, as opposed to a truly wild Polecat. It was on the road between West Rasen and Toft Newton. When I showed my wife the picture she said that she had seen such an animal run across the road close to West Rasen a few weeks ago!