Badgers, badgers, badgers....

Well, it has been a few days since the last post. I have been up to my eyes in badgers and the patience and planning are paying dividends. I am spending many hours at the sett, just sitting and waiting. Each day I seem to have a magic moment when everything comes together, like with the shot above. He sat with his back to me for most of the session, but just turned around in time for the light to pick up and give me a cracking portrait.

There is so much to watch and to hear. It is amazing how quickly the other animals forget you are there. On arrival, the squirrels make their odd 'chuffing' and 'wheezy' noise; the numerous muntjac and roe deer bark; the tits, chats and thrushes, twitter and sound off their high-pitched alarms. But after just a few minutes they all subside.

After half and hour, the passerines land nearby, the roe deer just trot past (warily it has to be said), and even the local tawny owl takes up a perch only metres away. It is so tempting to refocus on these other subjects, but I mostly wait for the badgers. With this roe deer doe, she repeatedly approached me as she could not work out what I was. I kept perfectly still and just fired off a single frame. She left confused, but not alarmed, the way it should be.

The badgers have been extremely unpredictable (as I had always imagined they would be). Twice they have not shown until after dark and, on several occasions, they have already been out when I have arrived, possibly 50m or more away from the sett. The little ones are always on the move snuffling about in the undergrowth. There is certainly a degree of acceptance now. I wouldn't say it was absolute, but I am tolerated.

The cubs and even a couple of the adults have caught my scent and raised their heads to check it further, but have gone back to feeding without alarm. The most charming experiences have always been with the young cubs. One caught my scent and decided to follow it to the source. It headed straight for me and came within 1m! It looked up at me for a few moments, then put its head down and just carried on past me to another feeding point.

I have adapted my feeding regime to suit the changing situations. I feed a good mix of peanuts, dried fruit, meal worms, and honey. I also visit the local fishing shop and collect a batch of casters or earthworms. Where possible I force the feed into the nooks and crannies of rotting tree stumps or fallen trees. It really fires up their natural drives to claw and rake away bark for beetle grubs. Again, where possible, I bury the feed under a layer of soil to get them digging. They relish the regular feed as they are often muscled out the way when the adults arrive. In this image, you can see the peanuts as the badger rakes out soil and moss to get to the food underneath. I'm always amazed by how dexterous and energetic these animals are. They have no fear in climbing and seemingly enjoy a good challenge!

As I mentioned before, the sett is a goldmine of photo opportunities with many moss-covered stumps and fallen trees to work with. My plan is to focus on one at a time, spending about 2-3 weeks with each. Towards the end (or until I have used up all the possibilities) I will overlap feeding on the next site which is nearby and within reach of my lens. This way I can hopefully control where the badgers are likely to be and make the most of the different sites.