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

What a wonderful night we have just had.

Other half, and two of our daughters made a repeat visit to a Herts Wildlife Trust hide in the hope of seeing some badgers.

We arrived about an hour before dusk, having ensured that we were not wearing any scent, or rustly clothing. We sat fairly quietly for a while, while we watched rooks wheeling overhead, as they settled down at their roost in woodland ahead of us. Jackdaws squabbled noisily as they settled in woodland behind us. Rabbits were frisking about, and lolloping around in the open ground immediately ahead of us.

Then, suddenly, the rabbits all ran off into the woods - and we saw why, as a fox appeared, and, rather half heartedly ran after the rabbits.

The Wildlife trust puts food out (included dead rabbits, squirrels etc) in front to the hide, and to our utter delight, a young fox - just a cub really, appeared, and ran off with one of the dead rabbits. More foxes arrived, and then it went quiet again.

More rabbits.

Next, a Mutjac deer turned up to feed on the pelleted food. It was so close, that we could clearly see those curious little tusks that they have. It stayed for about 10 minutes.

More foxes. More rabbits.

Then the Badgers started to arrive. A skittish young one made off with another rabbit carcase. And we thought that was that.

But we were in for such a treat.

Badgers started to arrive from all directionsm singly, in pairs, in small family parties. At one time there were seven of them, within a few feet of us. Some of the youngsters squabbled over a squirrel carcase and ran off. It just went on and on.

We stayed until after midnight, and we reckoned we must have seen about a dozen badgers.

Last year when we went, we were delighted as seeing just two badgers, with no foxes, deer etc.

I think we must have been very lucky indeed.

And to cap it all, when I looked at my emails this morning, I found I had won yesterdays DT Sukoku competiton too!

What a weekend!

This sounds absolutely wonderful. I've never seen badgers as close as you describe.

I do love those muntjacs. Where I grew up we occasionally used to get them in the garden, drinking out of what had once been a moat (we also harboured a fox).

Congratulations on the Sudoku win. What do you get as a prize?

Bonsie

Sounds fantastic, Prue! Can you give a bit more information about where it is? My sister lives in Herts, and it sounds like an interesting place to visit.

Congrats on the Sudoku competition too - I've only just discovered it, and I think I'm on the verge of becoming addicted! But isn't it frustrating when you get halfway through and discover you've made a mistake? That just happened to me when I was (or so I thought) making great progress in the Indy's prize version - 4 x 4 squares with letters as well as numbers.

Hello Bonsie

The sudoku wins gets me a pair of theatre tickets - at The Albury Theatre - forgotten what for, but it is a favourite theatre, and there is nearly always something good on there.

No doubt, you will hear all about it via the journal

Hello Annie



Yes - and that's exactly what happened on Saturday - but thanks to the trusty rubber on the end of the pencil, could go back and have another go! This time successful. I nearly didn't send the entry in.

Have a look at:

www.hmbadgergroup.org.uk

If you click on "badger watching", it will tell you how to book up.

It is a Tewin Orchard.

Take warm clothes, and a torch so you can find your way back to your car again afterwards.



Prue