I decided on a change of tactics tonight. Instead of sitting in my high seat, three metres off the ground, I'd sit on the ground, on a small stool that I normally use on conservation volunteering days. I started off about five metres from the feeding site, just to see how the badgers would react.
Jeremy and Nicola
Nicola was nervous at first, but then she's normally very cautious when first emerging. Eventually, she came out to the food and ignored me. Jeremy was not so sure either, but even he overcame his fears and emerged. After eating peanuts for ten minutes, he stopped and stared at me, then stampeded back to the sett, with Nicola following. He evidently has a short memory, as he was back out again in less than a minute! Nicola returned too for a short while, but then wandered off into the brambles. Jeremy slurped up the honey and wandered off too.
Nigel and Nicola
It was getting dark by then, so I decided to try my luck and move in a bit closer. I moved around to the foot of my ladder, about three metres from the feeding site and put out more peanuts, with a trail of nuts coming to within half a metre of my seat. Soon, Nicola was out again, this time with the other cub Nigel, and Jeremy came back too. The cubs followed the trail of nuts and then came right up to me, sniffing my boots and nibbling at my trousers. One went around behind me, then walked under the stool and came out between my legs, to sniff at the camera tripod in front of me. How do you film a badger when it's under your tripod? Finally, curiosity satisfied, all three badgers returned to the brambles. I'd been eaten alive by mosquitos, but it was worth it!
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
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
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
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