h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Mon. 22nd Feb. 2010
Weather: Freezing, and dull

It was bitterly cold last night and the water froze solid. A badger turned up at 7.30pm did a quick run round and disappeared without touching the dish It was shortly before 9pm when he came back, opening the dish and tucking in. For some reason he ran off in a real hurry at 9.15pm following the footpath all the way down the garden. He clearly doesn’t like walking on snow

Surely he cannot be afraid of furry vermin because at 9.20pm two little critters came out to play dashing around till 9.39 or so and clearly knowing it was safe to do so. Or was it - we will see!

11.11pm and a badger came for a quick exploratory sniff at the table, did a quick circuit and ran off! 11.30 and he was back again, digging in to the dish, then scouting round under the cotoneaster, trying the table and having a good mooch round before leaving at 11.36pm

Several times the furry critters came back but always managed to avoid any larger wildlife, or so I thought! At 5.09am a fox was seen loitering and at 5.18am boss Man lumbered up the garden for a last look round.

Nothing stirred then till the clean up team arrived at 7.16am and they discovered a dead rat on the bottom lawn. After a conflab involving about six magpies it was attacked viciously. Later a came and seemingly finished the job I am not sure if it took a home to its owner!! I really hope the rat died from wounds from a badger or fox, or from cold or starvation, as if it had been poisoned it could affect the other animals and birds. I just hope no-one has put poison down anywhere. I won’t unless we get an infestation which is not very likely.

When I went out to put the bird food out at 7.45m a robin almost landed on me, so impatient was he for food He was joined by two others, two blackbirds, several bullfinches, two blackcaps, dunnocks and a nuthatch, who came several times

Three starlings fought over the peanut cake, the magpies, wood pigeons and squirrels fought over the peanuts and food on the ground and the long tailed, great and blue s simply queued up and waiting their turn at the table and feeders

We escaped the snow today, but might get some tomorrow! memo to self - Fill coal buckets in the morning just in case


Websailor

I'm not going to mention snow again

Thanks ers

I won't be doing a badger diary tonight as I have a visitor but I will catch up tomorrow. There was a fair bit of activity and I learnt something Tell you tomorrow.



Websailor

the walls full again, I can't lurk

Nigel, where are you when you are needed The wall is full so Prof says, but there are some bricks down the bottom of my garden you can use - get laying Hon. Bricks not ! You should be done by Easter

Websailor

UPDATE Apologies for delay, visiting plans got changed rather late in the day!

Tue. 23rd Feb. 2010
Weather: Cold and dry. Snow.

The first badger arrived at 9.15pm and soon had the dish open after circling it a couple of time and having a quick sniff at the stone table. He munched with his back to the camera for a good fifteen minutes before leaving in a hurry.

1.18am and another one arrived to do his best to clean out the dish. He ran around, checking out the table then headed for the patio. His head appeared at the side of the camera as he gave it a nudge in passing before returning to the dish. He went foraging, ambling down the garden and out of sight.

2.14am A different one came checking out the dish and table, and another at 2.48am neither of them staying more than a minute or two

3.06am Kinky paid the usual visit and scent marked as per usual. Bushy did likewise at 4.03am both looking at the camera as they did so!

The clean up team in the shape of magpies, wood pigeons and squirrels arrived at 7.15am and I went out to clear the badger dish and put the bird food out.

I discovered the badger dish and lid splattered with blood and was most concerned. Did we have an injured badger, had they been fighting with each other or a fox? Had someone put poison down for the rats and a dying one had passed by. Looking back at the videos there was no indication of any of this, then it dawned

The second fox Bushy that we thought was a male is in fact a female in œstrus Foxes are monoœstrus being on heat just once a year during late Autumn/Winter. We haven’t heard the usual blood curdling calls from them during the night for the last couple of years so perhaps they are finding mates without having to advertise though Bushy clearly found it necessary to leave her calling card last night! Anyway, the solution found I could stop worrying about injuries etc.

The Fluffy ginger passed through during the day, and the garden was full of birds who clearly knew that something weatherwise was on the way. Sure enough the started at 2pm and continued on and off giving yet another light covering

Wed. 24th Feb. 2010
Weather Snow. Freezing cold with a biting wind.

9.38 and Kinky visited. 11.39pm a badger cub found his way in to the dish eating hurriedly until a minute after midnight when he disappeared. It was 1am before another brock arrived, lying down to eat for a fe minutes before heading for the patio and breathing all over the camera lens before leaving. 1.53am another brief visit, and again at 4.27am by which time there was clearly no food left.

In the morning there were the usual birds in the garden and at least half a dozen very noisy crows in the oak tree. The nuthatches appear to be back too.

Thu. 25th Feb. 2010
Weather Dull. Showery rain, occasional glimpses of sun.

The previous night saw a visit from the long legged who stayed for a drink at 6.54pm before heading off down the garden. The first badger arrived at 9.13pm, the uncertain cub again, but he eventually gained entry to the dish after trying to dig it out of the ground first After much kerfuffle he got in to the dish and found the pieces of apple I had included which clearly delighted him as he pulled those out first to eat He pulled out one piece after another eventually lying down to eat. He munched nonstop till 9.30 when he appeared to leave. Ten minutes later he came back, rushing to finish.

It was 2.41am before another one appeared, having a mooch around dish, table and patio and eventually going in disgruntled fashion at 3am, suggesting it was Boss Man!

It was much milder today and the birds were active all day. Robins, blackbirds, blackcaps, nuthatches, chaffinches and dunnocks followed the magpies, wood pigeons and squirrels. There were long tailed, great, coal and blues everywhere, at least three starlings and both a male and female woodpecker dropped in for a fight the first at 10am and the second at 4.15pm. The starlings didn’t like it one bit

Tonight it was raining as I put the badger food out, (with apple) and the birds were singing happily It is such a joyful sound I couldn’t help in spite of the rain.


Websailor

Fri 26th Feb. 2010
Weather: Dull with a bitter wind.

Last night was a bit quiet with Kinky arriving at 9.27pm for a quick look round. The first badger did not arrive till 1.40am It was the timid cub again, sniffing all around before pushing the brick and lid off and tucking in. Once again he pulled out his favourite bits of apple to eat, munching happily away until 1.56am when he trotted off.

2.26am and Kinky came again, having a quick munch and scent marking before trotting off.

2.57am and a second badger was at the dish but seemed uneasy and soon ran off. 3.46am and Boss Man arrived with another badger hanging around in the background. He stayed for about two minutes but the second badger didn’t come close enough to see more than the outline

This morning the magpies were early arriving in force at 7am! They were followed by the squirrels and the wood pigeons. A starling was very early too. I wonder what got him out of bed - probably the same thing that got me up - hunger

Blackbirds, robins, blackcaps, long tailed tits and bullfinches were much in evidence. A coal tit and a nuthatch dropped in as did a chaffinch. The great and blue s joined the dunnocks flitting in and out of the cotoneaster and the lilac tree, and several crows very noisily gathered but were not hungry enough to come down.

This evening is bitterly cold and I think the badger was early but the light is so bad I can’t be sure. The camera will no doubt solve it in the morning.

Have a good weekend everyone.


Websailor

Sat 27th Feb. 2010
Weather: Showers, sunny spells. Chilly.

Last night in brilliant light a fat badger arrived at 12.18am, spinning the brick on the lid before getting it open. He moved around the dish munching busily until 12.34am when he wandered off down the path.

12.41 and another badger arrived (its’ coat looked different, no white patches!) He shifted the brick and lid out of the way impatiently and a couple of minutes later another badger arrived, heading for the dish too but was roughly pushed away It looked like a cub having the temerity to muscle in on Boss Man’s dish and the cub cowered down and left. Boss Man continued eating till
12.50 then disappeared.

1.08 and another brock arrived staying only till 1.13am. 3.15am and another one did a quick circuit and finding no food left at a brisk trot

4.55am Kinky paid the usual ‘scenting’ visit but didn’t approach the dish. He obviously picked up on the badger’s body language.

This morning the magpies arrived at 7.07am, followed by wood pigeons and squirrels. I left them for an hour or so to clean up, then put fresh food out and a new peanut cake before the squirrels run off with the stick and deposit it in a neighbours’ garden.

During the night it had rained and everywhere was wet but all the birds arrived on cue, including three bullfinches, three blackbirds and three robins. We seem to have a trio of Ménage à trois situations at the moment and that’s without mentioning the promiscuous dunnocks oh, and I forgot the three blackcaps!!!

Great and blue s, long tailed tits and a coal tit were flitting in and out all day. A couple of starlings dropped in briefly but the s stayed home with their ‘staff’.

I made a donation today to the Badger Trust for their fight against the proposed Welsh badger cull. A cull would be going against all good science to appease a powerful lobby. Thank goodness ‘our’ badgers are safe from that, though not from badger baiters and cars. Keep your fingers crossed that the Badger Trust and other supporters win their case and the badgers get a reprieve.


Websailor

Thanks WS!

I think we can be fairly certain of some baby collared doves this year. The adults have absolutely no shame nor decorum and continue to mate at every opportunity.

Scorp, you are so lucky. I don't see collared doves much now so many people have cut down/back their conifers I had some fabulous opportunities for photos of babies, and of sparrowhawks before I had a camera. Now, zilch!! Nowt, not a sniff

They are very Er!...... prolific are collared doves but so sweet.

Websailor

Sun. 28th Feb. 2010
Weather: Dull, damp, sunny spells, cold wind too.

8.45pm and a big fat sniffy badger came circling the dish before eventually getting his snout in the grub They are all looking somewhat dishevelled, but are maybe betwixt and between with their winter and summer fur coats This one kept stopping and sniffing the air, and working his way round the dish. Something was attracting his attention but not enough to distract too much from his diligent munching. I saw this one ‘live’ too as well as on the video this morning Boy, is he well upholstered , or ‘she’ perhaps? Anyway, by 9.05 he/she had gone.

10.38pm Kinky was at the dish nibbling because leaving her/his mark. I can tell you it is rapidly earning a change of name to Stinky, judging by the pong when I collect the dish in the morning

11.03pm Long tall trundled through having decided to walk down the garden rather than attempt to jump the fence

12.43am and all seemed quiet, then the dreaded mini arrived, just one, dashing back and forth to the dish which clearly had some food left in it I really must have a word with the brocks This continued at two minute intervals until 1.05am!!

Typically the fox, K(st)inky turned up at 2.44am too late to catch the blighter

7.26am it seems the clean up team had a Sunday lie in too, but they soon made short shrift of the scraps of food lying around. I lost count of the magpies, but there were several wood pigeons and squirrels, the latter hanging upside down by their tails on the feeders and in the tree.

A male woodpecker was spotted climbing up the Silver birch, before landing on the line post to climb up the same. He then attacked the peanut feeder before feeding on the stone table (unusually!) then headed for the lilac tree and the peanut cake, which I assume was ‘pudding’!

Spring is definitely on the way even if it is still wearing an overcoat Both male and female blackcaps showed up, male and female blackbirds, bullfinches and robins too. Dunnocks were in and out of the cotoneaster, the starlings fought on the peanut cake and long tailed tits, great and blue s spent nearly all day here. Two chaffinches were on the lawn but I wasn’t quick enough to tell if it was two females or one of each


Websailor

Hi Ws

well I have caught up with your ctivities.

I cannot understand how they can keep on harping about badgers causing TB in cattle.

As I have said before, I do not think that we had badgers in South Africa and yet the cattle still got TB - I think,.

Well, I must be off to bed./

Thanks again.

Christiane.
AR80

Sunday 28th Feb. 2010 21. 26 GMT

Hi, Christiane, Nite nite. Sleep well. I think you are right about the cattle.

Websailor

Thanks WS

Go well,

Christiane
AR80
1/III/2010 7.30 GMT

WS! Can you refresh my ageing memory? Have not seen any postings for some time from one who always signed in with as his/her name - who is/was it?

I am afraid my ageing memory is about the same as yours, as I can't think! Isn't that awful If anyone else can help please shout

Just had a thought, it wasn't bluebird was it?

Websailor

Just looked and there is a whole string of bluebird researchers who have never done more than register. I haven't time to go through them all!

Websailor