Memories from Summer Badger cubs bounding

With Spring and Summer 2016 well behind us and Winter not far away, I took a look back to my memories of summer and one wild encounter I don't like to miss. On many a warm evening during the months of May to August I would head off through the countryside by canals and lakes to my secret Badger glade where I have spent many years protecting and photographing the clan here.

This year was so special as a pair of fluffy cubs seemed to be always out playing and looking for food while there parents slept and would often come out four a minute or two then return to the safety of the sett. Sometimes the sow would call the cubs underground if they started to go to far from the sett.

 Here is a few of my favorite summer photographs of the cubs before they became wary of these 2 legged creatures around there sett which I am always glad about as I know that human dangers may never be to far away.

 Sometimes they would stay hidden and a Badgers arse would be the only view as the sun fell

 They came close enough to film on our phones some days which was Amazing!!

I love the image below as it captures the Teen Badger cub on a moonlit night just emerging for a few hours of mischief and fun plus learning all the skills it will need to become an adult Badger.

Thanks for reading my blog
Stay wild, be happy and be safe

Mike

First Badgers of 2016 #cutebadgercubwarning

If you have been following my blog for a while now you'll know I visit a Badger sett at this time of year to see if the Badger family has any new additions. At this time of year the Badger cubs are taking there first steps  away from there setts with the rest of the family. I have been trying to see the cubs earlier each year and a few days ago I was treated to some short but sweet views of Brock woods newest youngsters. While out in the warm summer evenings over the past few days the family have gotten used to my scent after a long winter of not really visiting the sett other than to check the area had been undisturbed by those idiots who commit awful wildlife crimes.

The 2 cubs were chuckling away by the entrance but did not want to leave the entrance

Cheeky Badger faces the opposite way of my camera

A quick look before the little one disappears off back to bed

Badger cub looks right at me

Hiding in the undergrowth the second cub appears from a different hole

Hopefully this won't be the first or last time this Spring/Summer I get to photograph them more. Watching the Badgers is one of my highlights of the lighter and brighter days of the year.

Thanks for reading my blog

Stay wild, be happy and be safe
 

Mike

Slow arrival of Spring

With Spring being held back by the sudden arrival of cold winds and rain. I have been waiting for the sign of Toads breeding which has not taken place yet this year as when this begins it means the Otters will be feeding at a spot where I discovered them hunting Toads in the early mornings. It's lovely to see the reeds and plants growing back alot slower this year in my local countryside.

Misty sunrise at a local lake

 Bridge of light on my local canal at sunrise

The green slowly coming through

 Mallard and her Ducklings on the canal tow path

Back in my garden the Blackbirds first brood of chicks have just fledged from the hedgerow. They are now on there second brood with eggs laid a few weeks ago. The Robins have returned to there nest in the Ivy after there eggs were predated by Mice. They laid 5 eggs a week or two ago and hopefully this brood will make it to fledgling. To make sure the eggs are not predated this time we are keeping out the live mouse trap near to the nest which we will check daily so any more mice caught can be released in a local meadow.

We had a few dry days last week where I finally got to visit my Badger sett to see if I could see the cubs playing around the sett. We managed to see 2 Badgers but they were quite wary at being out in the early evening light. I'm hoping once the warmer and lighter mornings return I can get out more in my kayak on the river to get some low level shots of some of my favorite seasonal events.

Thanks for reading my blog

Stay wild, be happy and be safe
 

Mike

Badgers filmed on my action camera

 Here's a quick clip of some Badger cubs I filmed on my action camera from this summer. As I have worked with this protected sett for many years they know my scent and have no fear of my camera gear. They are more curious than scared as you can see but as soon as they hear a stick snap or a rustle there off back down there holes to safety.

Cameras are available here:
1080P HD DV ACTION Camera
www.Gowildlifewatching.co.uk

Thanks for reading my blog
Stay wild, be happy and be safe

Mike

A nest on the ground

While searching my new wildlife area my brother found a nest on the ground in long grass. We found the nest while searching for Foxes and on this visit I nearly stepped on a young Badger cub snuffling around in long grass near it's sett, once it noticed me it gave a big sniff and ran off into cover.

After abit of research I found out that the nest belonged to a _____ and hopefully over the next few weeks before I go on holiday I will get to see these eggs hatch and fledge.

Hidden in the thick grass

 6 Little eggs but will they all hatch

 The nest was well hidden in the undergrowth which got recovered with more grass when I left

As the nest is right next to a Badger sett where there are Foxes and Badgers I'm not sure whether they will make it to adulthood let alone hatch.

2 of the 3 adult Foxes I have seen in the area and hopefully there may be cubs nearby :-)

A lovely part of the river which flows under a bridge where I like to shelter when it rains when I am heading back from my new area.

Thanks for reading my blog

Stay wild, be happy and be safe

Mike

Good times with the Badgers

Just love my Cheshire Badger sett and the summer evenings and early mornings when the sun is blazing, the mozzies are buzzing and the Badgers are 1 meter away from me snuffling around!!!

 One from the archives of daylight Badgers with some happy music showing the beauty of these animals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naTGq4Yn1RM

Thanks for reading my blog

So stay wild, be happy and be safe

Mike

 - YouTube -

Top 14 Wild moments of 2014 part 1 of 2

As it's the last day of 2014 I decided to post a quick review of my top 14 wild encounters and moments from 2014. There not in any particular order as each one was very special to me.

1-My first ever Dolphin encounter at sunset on the North Wales coast at Llandudno.

2-Filming my local Mute Swan pair from nest building to egg laying to Cygnets and them leaving.

3-We had to rescue 2 Cygnets as they got separated from the other 6 and the adults and reuniting them was a very nice thing to watch.

4-Having a close encounter with a local Fox that lived next to the holiday cottage where I stay regularly.

5-A Buzzard caught a Rabbit on a cliff edge next to the sea and it flew over the sea with it while it was still alive.

6-I have been checking a regular sighting spot on the coast for Purple Sandpipers but one day in April I was climbing over some rocks on the beach and 2 birds on one rock.

7-While walking back from a summers visit to my favorite Badger sett I bumped into some fledgling Kingfishers that were still unafraid of humans.

More to come asap

Thanks for reading my blog and have a great New year

So stay wild, be happy and be safe

Mike

Winter Badger encounter at Brock wood

In today's post here's a short video I edited very quickly this afternoon. It shows a lovely little encounter which I had last week while patrolling of one of my local Badger setts under my protection. This is the first Winter where I have seen the Badgers out this early in the day.

(Brock Wood is not the official name of the woodland to keep it's location secret)

So stay wild, be happy and be safe

Mike

Badger visiting my artificial den!!!!

In this post a Badger visits my artificial den I made for Foxes. After placing a Camera trap on the entrance I found the Badgers were visiting and eating the food I was leaving to tempt in Foxes to checkout my den. I think I heard a Cuckoo calling from the woodland in this video at about 2.28 seconds into the video.

The video below shows the Badger coming out of the den and then returning into the den exiting from another entrance at the opposite end of the den.

Thanks for visiting

Mike

Watch more of my YouTube videos here

Camera trap night 4 of 5 results and Young Tawny owls

 After checking the camera traps I had 38 videos that had been recorded overnight. I took my Laptop with me so I could check the videos straight away instead of heading on the long walk back home. No badgers had been filmed on the card as only a mouse that probably lived down one of the badgers holes kept eating peanuts and scampering around. After packing up my camera traps to head home and feeling disapointed with the results I had got I decided on exploring nearby. Close to the Badger sett is a small woodland adjacent to the canal and I heard a blackbird alarm calling so I decided to check it out. Amazingly it was a bird I had never seen in the wild and it was a stunning adult Tawny owl. The bird was hunting and I was so pleased I managed to get a great shot of it with a young blackbird chick in its talons which it caught to feed its 4 young that had left the nest recently.

As the Adult called the Owlets answered back and led me to there location. So after creeping closer I managed to film the young and adults as they sat in the sun. Its the first time I have ever filmed an Owl and hopefully not the last. After disappointed with the Badger camera trap it turned out it was a great day after all and another bird off the list. I will keep an eye on the Tawny owls for the next few days to try and film them flying and feeding the owlets before they leave the area to find territory's of there own.
Adult in the shadows of an old Oak

Owlet looking down through the canopy at me

Regards

Mike

Camera trap set up in possible Otter and Badger Location

Today I decided to setup my camera trap in an area where I found a small brook and woodland. The area is a good few miles walk from my home and the new area was near a canal, I found a small badger sett which showed some good signs of activity including fresh digging and plenty of stinky latrines that were very close to the sett meaning this was a new group of badgers to film.

Nearby I found some Otter spraint on a group of rocks in the stream and a possibility of a holt close to the rocks where I found the spraint. I ended up going back hope for some salmon and if l leave some fish as well as peanuts/fruit by the brook near the spraint and close to the sett to see what I can film. I hope to get Badgers and Otters  filmed together or one or the other but in one night !!!!. I left feeling excited but nervous about leaving my camera trap so far from home so I think that I will be up early tomorrow to collect my camera trap. I will take my camcorder with me in case I have any wild encounters on the way and hopefully I may see an early morning Barn owl.

As I had another smaller camera trap with me and a spare apple I decided to leave it on a possible Water vole run by the stream and check that to the next day to see if any small mammals show up to take a bite.

Regards

Mike