This is the first pine marten I have ever seen in the mountains of Colorado. We had just passed the summit of Hancock Pass just over 12,000 feet and this pine marten ran across the trail in front of us. We had been driving our RZR (high clearance ATV) for several hours over a very rocky and steep trail. I yelled to my husband weasel!!! Stop! I jumped out and ran down the hill into the high grass where he had disappeared. I did not have my good camera with me as it is a very, very dusty and bumpy road and being a new set up and very expensive to me I was afraid to take it, plus you get rained on a lot.
Anyway, why I thought I would find it again is beyond me, but I had to at least look. There was a huge boulder field that is prime habitat for Pikas so I thought why not a pine martin! I sat there for quite a while as my husband looked at me like I was somewhat crazy, but he is used to me sitting for hours trying to get pika photos. Anyway, all of a sudden there he is bouncing over and through the rocks at lightening speed! I tried my best to find him in my Canon 100-400 lens and 5DM4. I found him, but getting it in focus was another story. And he was gone. He could go the length of a football field in less than 30 seconds. I sit for half an hour hoping he comes back. He did! This time he stopped once looking at me like what are you? Then off to the races over the boulders. I think I got one in focus. Never mind trying to get a good background etc. So I sit for another half hour and yes, he is back! But again so fast.... then he does stop on a rock and look at me again for about 5 seconds. I'm pressing the shutter trying to keep the box on his head (pretty far away) and I can see the lens is not getting focus... then at the very end one is in focus! Oh, another hour of sitting and he did not come back.
So the first is the one I thought was the best. At the end I will post a screen shot so you can see how cropped it is. So don't zoom in it is not super sharp. The others were just as far away or more.
There were lots of other great action poses, just not in focus....so hard to even find him in the viewfinder!