I picked up a book in a charity shop the other day (I’m a cheapskate!) and I’d wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone interested in the same sort of things as me. The book is Simon King’s Wildguide, published by the BBC in 1994. This is the same Simon King off the TV, the star of [...]
Archive for April, 2009
More recommended reading – Simon King, I salute you!
Posted in Background on April 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Fieldnotes: 26th April 2009 – Spring is in the air
Posted in Fieldnotes on April 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
It’s been a day of firsts. I heard my first cuckoo of the year today and I also saw my first swallow. I know that one swallow doesn’t make a summer, but it’s been a glorious day. Everything is green and growing, and the air has that beautiful, lush foliage smell of early summer. I [...]
Am I a birdwatcher?
Posted in That's not a badger!, tagged Birds, birdsong, birdwatching, Chinese Water Deer on April 26, 2009 | 2 Comments »
I’ve been asked the question a few times when I’m wandering about the countryside. It’s a reasonable conclusion for people to make. The green jumper and binoculars must be a dead giveaway. The truth is, I’m not really a birdwatcher. I’ll watch anything, me – bird or beast. It’s all part of getting to know [...]
Should you feed badgers?
Posted in Thoughts and Musings, tagged badgers on April 20, 2009 | 21 Comments »
This started off as a reply to a comment on my last post, but it got a bit long so I thought I’d convert it into a post of its own right. It is an interesting subject, and this isn’t really a reply to the comment so much as the train of thought it triggered [...]
Fieldnotes: 19th April 2009 – A lesson in fieldcraft
Posted in Fieldnotes on April 19, 2009 | 2 Comments »
I’ve been busy laying a new floor this weekend, but I took a couple of hours off this evening to see what the badgers were up to. In particular, I was keen to see if the cub (or maybe cubs) made another appearance. A good breeze was blowing so I made for my usual tree. [...]
Fieldnotes:13th April 2009 – First badger cub of the year
Posted in Fieldnotes on April 13, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Having been out at the sett the other night I’ve got a rough idea of the time when the badgers come out. This made it easy this evening to pop down for a quick look just at the time of dusk. Of course, it is always a good idea when badger watching to arrive early. [...]
A website of interest
Posted in Background on April 12, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I’ve just come across badgerpics.org.uk, and a great site it is too. John has got some truly excellent badger pictures in his gallery (they put my efforts to shame!) and he shares my fascination with badger watching. It’s obvious that he’s spent some time inside a camouflage jacket staring intently at holes in the ground [...]
Fieldnotes: 10th April 2009 – Back amongst the badgers
Posted in Fieldnotes, tagged badger, badger watching on April 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Damp, still nights aren’t the best for badger watching. The moist air carries your scent further, and since badgers rely heavily on their sense of smell there’s a greater chance of them detecting you. Nevertheless, 7.30pm found me in my favourite tree. It was good to be back again, to put on the camouflage jacket [...]
Fieldnotes: 5th April 2009 – The great Red Kite hunt
Posted in That's not a badger!, tagged Bedfordshire, red kite on April 5, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The Red Kite has been preying on my mind. After my wife saw it, and after I saw it myself from my car, I just had to get a better view of it. Like I said, it isn’t a great rarity, but it is unusual for this area, and for me that’s a good enough [...]
Fieldnotes: 4th April 2009 – First badger watching trip of the season
Posted in Fieldnotes, tagged badger, badger watching on April 4, 2009 | 2 Comments »
It’s been a beautiful spring day – warm and sunny. It’s a great feeling after the cold winter we’ve had. The daffodils and the blackthorn are blooming, the hazels and hawthorns are in bud, and the first butterflies are up and about. There was even a skylark up in the clear blue sky, giving a [...]
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