Tales from the Wood – The Diary of a Badger Watching Man

Wasps nest dug out by badger

The hot dry spell ended with a vengeance on Sunday.  I went for my customary walk at 7.00am and the rain was torrential.  I splashed happily through the rivers of rainwater that were running down the road.

I went for a walk more out of habit than in any hopes of seeing any wildlife.  I thought that they’d have more sense than to be out in a downpour.  And so it proved.  There was one solitary Chinese Water Deer in the field (do they like to be wet?) but apart from that I was on my own.

I did find one interesting thing.  In the field behind my house was a wasps’ nest that had been dug out.  The nest had obviously been dug out overnight as there were a few dazed and confused wasps wandering over the wreck of their home.  This is a classic badger feeding sign, but one I’ve never seen before.  The badgers dig out the nest to get at the larvae inside, and by all accounts they are not bothered too much by the stings.

Fine by me.  I have no love for wasps.  As far as I’m concerned it was a good night’s work by the badger.  That’ll do, badger.  That’ll do.