Badger Watching

The good thing about badger watching is that it’s different every time - there are no repeats. A few days ago I was a bit late getting down to Badger Wood and it was already getting dark when I arrived. The nights are drawing in so quickly now that it’s hard to keep up. Badger cubs were running around in the woods already, playing tag. I got to my seat as quickly and quietly as I could and before long I had two of them eating peanuts in front of me. One finished eating and wandered off, to be replaced by another cub and an adult. They finished the peanuts and went back to the sett. I was just about to pack up and leave when two cubs came rushing out of the brambles and had a scrap in the clearing in front of me. They ran off into the darkness, but a few minutes later I heard loud squealing noises coming from the other end of the wood – they were having a riot!

Badger cubs having a play fight

Two days later it was totally different. I arrived a bit earlier and got to my seat before any badgers had emerged. Before long, four cubs tunnelled through the brambles and came to investigate the peanuts. It was still light, so they decided it wasn’t safe and went back down the sett. A few weeks ago they wouldn’t have cared, but now they’re much more cautious. Half an hour later, they emerged again one by one and came to the peanuts. I eventually had up to five cubs and two adults feeding right in front of me, all pushing and shoving in their efforts to get every last peanut. Finally they finished the food and within a minute all the badgers had gone. The rooks were settling down by now and a barn owl flew over, screeching loudly. Then all was quiet.

The clan squabble over the last few peanuts

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Collecting Tansy Seed

Image
Today I’ve been to Fulford Ings, to collect seed from tansy plants to sow next spring. Each plant produces dozens of flower heads and each flower contains hundreds of seeds, so the small amount I’ve collected will have no effect on the natural spread of the plants. I’ll aim to produce another 1000 tansy plants next year. Dead flower heads now contain ripe seed   The seed will be left to dry out in my kitchen   The new generation of tansy beetles that emerged from pupae in the summer have now gone underground for the winter – except for one, which was still wandering around! The last tansy beetle still active I was concerned that the tansy we planted in August was being nibbled by rabbits (see Helping Barn Owls and Tansy Beetles ). Today I saw that new growth has appeared at the base of the plants, which the rabbits haven’t touched, so I think they will be OK in the spring. The wild flower meadow is now being grazed by sheep. They eat tansy plants too, but the plant
Read more

Fen Bog

Image
It’s difficult to pick a favourite nature reserve, as they’re all so different and vary so much with the seasons, but one of my favourites must be Fen Bog, on the North York Moors. It’s in a hidden valley surrounded by moorland, with a boggy mire in the centre. Volunteers pulling bracken I usually only visit once a year, when Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have a conservation volunteer work day there. This year we’ve had two days, cutting back the bracken on the valley sides which threatens to engulf the reserve. The denser patches are cleared with brushcutters while thinner and steeper areas can be pulled by hand, minimizing damage to the surrounding vegetation. It’s one of those reserves where the results of our work can be clearly seen from one year to the next. Areas of dense bracken we brushcut last year just needed a tidy up by hand this year. Small pearl-bordered fritillary Large skipper sipping nectar from a thistle This is a great place to find some interesting in
Read more

Maldives 2016: Wildlife on the Island

Image
The two most common birds on the island of Dhigurah are the Asian koel and the Maldivian house crow. The koel, being a type of cuckoo, is a brood parasite and the crow is its host - the koel lays its eggs in the crow's nest. The koel is a protected species in the Maldives, whereas the house crow is regarded as a pest. Both are noisy birds. The koel is more often heard than seen, as they tend to perch in the densest vegetation and betray their presence only by their extremely loud calls. The house crow is a bolder bird. It will call loudly at passing humans, apparently in defence of its territory. Call of the Asian koel Call of the Maldivian house crow The Oriental garden lizard is often seen around the village. They are large lizards, up to 37cm in length, including a very long tail. They can move each of their eyes in different directions, like chameleons, and change colour to match their surroundings. During the breeding season, the male's head and shoulders turn
Read more