Yesterday evening, while it was still daylight, the badger came through the hole under the fence and sat on the path judging whether it was safe to come up to the house for his/her supper of peanuts and oddments of food.It was about 8.15 and I hadn't put out the peanuts so I stepped out of the patio door and walked to the shed - and the badger lolloped down the path, round the bend and out of sight. When I went indoors I was able to leave the patio door open. Wrapping a quilt round my legs I sat and waited while I watched (by then) Have I got News for You. The noise of the TV, changes of light, laughter and music doesn't seem to bother them.
The blurred mark on the left is the edge of the patio door frame and the badger is about 4' away. Looking at their claws it's no wonder that when my neighbour filled in the previous 'pop-hole' they'd made, it didn't take long for another to be dug. Or that badger holes in my so-called little lawns are a problem for me.
I'd wondered whether flash photography would bother them but when it didn't I realised they are used to the outside light clicking in and out - a lucky result. I could see the second one, which I think is a sibling, sitting in the path - then one of the occupants in the next door house came out to smoke and talk on his mobile - and they both disappeared, claws clicking on the path. I hope that one day I'll get photos of both of them. It was lucky that I spotted the first one because it gave me a time frame to sit with the open door...
4 comments:
You did very well getting those shots. I have never seen a badger, well, not a live one.
I think it very sad they are being culled in some parts of the country.
Grey squirrels, YES!
Badgers, no!
Great photos SIlve, you have some patience. I hope your grumpy nighbour dosent start complaining :-C
Bernard, it's sad you've never seen a live badger, though nor had I until I came here. I don't think culling will do much good in the end. If there's a large tract of unoccupied land I reckon it'll get taken over. But it's a sad comment on the British attitude to wild life when it's not proven that badgers give cattle TB.
Hi Kath, the neighbour is in the rented house attached to me and tenants are not allowed to smoke indoors. The people there now are the son, wife and toddler of the nice couple who were there for a year and who were very helpful in the winter weather. There's no eye contact with the current people. Now have to wait for the weather to get warmer to have the door open again...
I Love these, its nice to finally see photos of them. Well done grandma x
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