Badger Sett and Deer

Because of my need to break in the new boots, I decided to have a wander and I decided to travel light. Therefore while I packed a camera into my backpack, I did not burden myself with the tripod. I had intended to take the binoculars but as I was getting ready to head out the phone rang. So in error I left the binoculars and my mobile behind.

While I had something specific I wanted to check out, I also just wanted to have a nice pleasant stroll. I headed down to the river. It has been a while since I was down on this part of the river. Not since the floods last September, so it was interesting to see how the wildlife seems to be re-colonising the riverbank. The first thing that I noticed was that there are fresh river vole burrows. Where the vegetation was scoured away they are more visible than they would be normally. I could not see any of the voles, but as the burrows were fresh and there were marks of use. I stopped and watched for about ten minutes.

I was also entertained by watching a fisherman who was skilfully casting. Then I walked further along the river and found a place to sit and watch the Sand Martins. As I got the camera out of my bag to film the river, I saw a lone pied wagtail on the rocks on the other side of the river.

I moved off and headed into the wood. I am venturing into the other woods that surround my local woods more and more. On a previous occasion in these woods I had seen a number of Deer prints, so I wanted to see if there were any fresh tracks. So I had a couple miles walk ahead, a good test of my new all terrain paws. It was a really pleasant stroll; it’s just a shame that much of it was up hill. That seems to sum up my life, up hill all the way. I did have a problem though with a dog that seemed to be without its owner, while it appeared nervous of me, it started to tag along. I had him with me for at least three hundred yards, but by quickening my pace, I left him behind.

I reached the location where I had previously spotted the Deer prints, it is an easy place to find as there are some crab apples growing there and they are now in full flower. Just another of the delights that spring brings. I followed what appeared to fresh prints, it had rained the previous night so I was expecting them to be from the previous night. They lead clearly to a place where the Deer had obviously been standing and feeding on the fresh growth of spring.

While examining the browse line, I heard the Deer barking. While I am aware that the trees can confuse sounds, the Deer sounded as though they were close. I moved down a track in the direction of the sounds with the camera ready. I spotted a hidden clearing and I thought I saw some movement. As I approached I passed through a cloud of midges I tried to avoid breathing them in but one or two went up my nose causing me to sneeze. Well that helped me find where the Deer were as I briefly saw four Deer including two young hinds, leap and run off. Most people don’t realise just how fast they can move, but the species of Deer in Britain can and do move as fast as any antelope on the African Velt.

Even though I had missed filming them, I hung around and explored further, I could still hear Deer Barking. Unlike Red Deer who breed in autumn, Roe Deer can breed in spring, so have I discovered a breeding area? I will have to investigate further to know but that may be the case.

The other main thing I wanted to check out was a sign of very recent Badger activity. I was not sure but on a previous trip through that area, I thought I had discovered a new Sett. Not new as in recently dug, but new to me. As I returned to the location, I scanned the area carefully for indications of Badger activity and for signs of other animals as while signs of a badger digging were there, it could be that they were just digging for food on a rabbit warren.

As I went around the site what I saw was promising, if this was a Sett this is the largest in the area. It looks as though I have found the main Sett in the area and would explain some of the gaps in my previous observations. As I tried to assess the extent of the Sett I saw a woman walking her dog. We nodded a greeting and I went exploring further. It was becoming cleat to me that this was a location that was far less disturbed by humans than all the other Setts. Although I did find two discharged shotgun shells. They may well have been used on Rabbits or Wood Pigeon so are not that disturbing. Often the context of finds like shotgun shells can be important to work out if they are an indication of unlawful activity.

It was now early evening so I went back to where one of the Sett entrances is located. The woman who I had seen earlier was sitting on a log waiting and watching. I stopped and spoke to her and learned more about the Sett. It seems that this Sett is reasonably well known and well protected, if simply by the other people who are watching the Sett.

As the woman had her dog and she said she normally did not bring the dog she decided to go. I waited until half past eight. I will not say that I saw nothing as I did spot some movement in the entrance but no badger came out. About twenty minuets after seeing this I heard the badgers on the other side of the Sett. I suspect that my scent and possibly the scent of the woman’s dog had lingered.

It was unlikely that I was going to see anything so I quietly moved off and started heading home. I stopped to pack my camera away; I also wanted to be sure that I could relocate the Sett. I did not think that would be a problem, but its worth taking notes as vegetation changes and can obscure what can be important sing posts. So my stroll was a leisurely one and I saw a big Dog Fox, and I could hear but not see the Deer.

As this particular wood is more naturally wild and less managed it seems a better haven for wildlife.
When I returned to the river, the fisherman was still there, I was tempted to stop and film, but with the light rapidly failing it would not have been good footage. However I noticed that there were prints on a mud bank that had not been there earlier, it looks as though an otter or a mink had been there. I will check that out and make sure, as it could just be a small dog that had left the prints.

I decided to be lazy and get the bus up the hill and back to my village and just before the bus came to the stop I saw a Kestrel in straight flight obviously heading back to its roost.

Breaking in new boots has never been so rewarding and I am happy to provide this blistering report that there were no blisters caused in making this posting.