Comments for Tales from the Wood - The Diary of a Badger Watching Man

Comment on About me by Alan Seymour

Alan Seymour — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:33:16 +0000

Hi Badgerman,
First let me say what a great Blog and Site !!! I have been watching a sett for about 3 years now in Lancs, the sett is on the edge of a small wood with about 3 / 4 large trees, the sett is in the middle on flat ground with about 10 holes dug in a sandy type soil with a large grass field one side and longish grass on the other 3 sides. I sit at the base of a big old oak tree and watch and photograph them, I have had them as close as 5 ft (To Close to photograph) Some nights its all very quite and not a sight or sound of Brock, I had 6 visits on the trot like that, but on my next visit they were every where. They don’t seem to mind me taking photos and with a flash gun and a head torch on my head. I get there a couple of hours early to get set up and to settle down an wait, I stay until midnight, then pack up and leave the sett as I found it and Brock in peace. Yes they are a truely magic and have given me so much joy to be so close to Brocks world…. Photos can be seen on http://www.seymourphotos.org or on Face Book……

Kind Regards Alan Seymour..

Comment on Comments by E J Diver

E J Diver — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:01:44 +0000

Awww….. And about the Reed Bunting, you could, if you had £2.50 and an afternoon to spare try the Pillinge, which is a wetlands reserve next to stewartby. It’s attracted 3 SMEW, a Common Scoter, c40 Pintail, 100+ Teal, 6 Wigeon, 31 Canada Geese, 4+ Gadwall, 2 Kestrels and some Deer just this Saturday afternoon among 14 other species so you can get some other county ticks here. But hide 2 on the walk for me USUALLY (2/3 visits) produces Reed Buntings as well as Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, Pheasants, Dunnocks, Long-Tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coots, Moorhens, Gadwall and Chaffinches (All of which I saw this Sat.). No Badgers on the site yet!

Comment on Comments by E J Diver

E J Diver — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:51:50 +0000

Sorry to say, I’ve had lots more today after a bit of twitching. 3 SMEW flew from Millbrook Pillinge (That’s the lake next to Stewartby) and I scoped the highlight attraction of the wintering COMMON SCOTER. A flock of c40 PINTAIL were present to, and a first county flock of Wigeon were on the ice. I’m up to 63, I’ve lost track to as what you’re on! The other bird was a Bullfinch on the same site too. I failed to locate the Med Gull which was 99% likely to have been in the roost (Seeming as it was reported an hour before I was in the hide, and an hour after).
The Little Egret sounds great, I’ve only ever seen 1 in Norfolk on my holiday late(ish) last year.
Just wondering, what is your county total?

Comment on Finally, a Badger Sighting on my Road by Gary

Gary — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:55:26 +0000

Iv just started gettin badgers in my garden again, not seen the babies yet like we did last year. I put some food scraps and water out every nite, and they tend to arrive at
More or less the same sort of time each nite they come.

Comment on At last – Bedfordshire Red Kites by Rebecca Slattery-Kavanagh

Rebecca Slattery-Kavanagh — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:04:45 +0000

BWM, a little update. After four weeks the female badger made a great recovery, put on 4.5kg and was released back to where she came from on Thursday. Apparently she ran off towards her sett at a right old rate of knots……….a real success story!

Comment on The Big Garden Birdwatch by Badger Watching Man

Badger Watching Man — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:30:31 +0000

Very true E J!

I think the birds must know what’s happening. I could have doubled my ‘score’ if I’d done it later in the day, although most of that would have been the resident flock of piranha Blue Tits that swarm in and eat everything in sight.

All the best

BWM

Comment on Comments by Badger Watching Man

Badger Watching Man — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:28:07 +0000

Hi E J

That’s great news about the Red Kite! They are definitely around these parts, but they do seem to be elusive when you actually go looking for them. Good on the Kingfisher too. I haven’t seen one of these for years, not since I lived up north. I’ll have to check out Priory CP one day, as well as have a return visit to Flitwick Moor.

And I’ve added a few more to my list too, mostly ordinary birds I just hadn’t ticked off before, like a Moorhen and the Black-headed Gulls at Woburn, plus a Tufted Duck on the pond at Woburn today and a chance sighting of a Little Egret on one of the lakes near Bedford. Mind you, I’ve never positively seen a Reed Bunting, so that’s on my list for the future.

All the best

BWM

Comment on The Big Garden Birdwatch – My Results by Badger Watching Man

Badger Watching Man — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:21:45 +0000

Hi Rebecca

I’m glad it isn’t just me then! I think the birds new they were being watched, as shortly after my hour finished they all swarmed in! Nothing as dramatic as a heron though (it must have been waiting for its moment), or the long-tailed tits. I’ve only ever seen them in the garden once, although they’re fairly common in the hedges and oak trees just up the road.

But you’re right, I did feel slightly let down by our birds this morning. Maybe I am competitive after all…

All the best

BWM

Comment on About me by Badger Watching Man

Badger Watching Man — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:18:24 +0000

Thanks Tony

I am lucky, living in the country, and I don’t forget it. But I am always keen to point out that my local patch isn’t anything really special. It’s the ordinary mixture of arable, livestock, hedgerow and small woodland you find all over lowland Britain. I think if there’s a message in this site, it’s that if you can get to know your local area then you’d be surprised at what you can find.

But you’re right, it is nice.

All the best

BWM

Comment on The Big Garden Birdwatch by Badger Watching Man

Badger Watching Man — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:14:47 +0000

Hi Tony – thanks for writing in.

Yes, I’ve heard of the BirdTrack site. To my shame, it is only a chronic lack of time that stops me, as it sounds like a good idea on several levels. It’s a chance to keep a record of your own sightings, plus it contributes to the overall picture.

But as I say, time is the key thing. This diary is as close as I’ve ever got to keeping proper records, so I am gradually getting more organised, so I’ll see if I can go the next step at some point in the future.

PS – fascinating blog. I’ve learnt a new word today – ‘phenology’. I’ll have a good read shortly.

All the best

BWM