Badgers!

[pauljm116]

Just come back from a few days camping, I got nightly visits from several different badgers feeding on the berries from a tree. They're not great photos as it was dark and only had my phone but thought I'd share them. Managed to get within 6 feet away from them.

 

[pauljm116]

And also saw a white deer and a few black ones (no pics of the black ones).

 

[ozzy1977]

Wonderful sight.

 

[ocean1975]

Hi pauljm116,
Great snaps you got there,where was the deer photo taken.Ive been looking out for fallow deer in cobham,found there tracks but not seen them yet.
Cheers Andy.

 

[Big Stu 12]

Brilliant, I must get time out to see our Badgers..

 

[pauljm116]

Hi pauljm116,
Great snaps you got there,where was the deer photo taken.Ive been looking out for fallow deer in cobham,found there tracks but not seen them yet.
Cheers Andy.

It was at Forgewood camping on the Eridge estate in Tunbridge Wells. They were extremely shy so couldnt get within 50 metres of them.

 

[treadlightly]

You are lucky just to see badgers never mind be able to photograph them.

 

[Blundstoned Love]

I was always taught that it was OK to talk about seeing badgers but it was NEVER OK to say where you saw them. Unless you lied about where.

I guess these days badger baiting is the least of Broc's worries.

 

[British Red]

Great pictures!

I'm not sure why anyone would be considered lucky to see a badger? They are fairly common - I've lived all over the country and seen them in pretty much every place I have lived? They are common on farmland, woodland and moors. I guess it depends if you like a stroll before bed as I do

 

[treadlightly]

Great pictures!

I'm not sure why anyone would be considered lucky to see a badger? They are fairly common - I've lived all over the country and seen them in pretty much every place I have lived? They are common on farmland, woodland and moors. I guess it depends if you like a stroll before bed as I do

I spend a lot of time in woodland which has a sett at its edge. I also like to stroll around it at dusk. In six years I have seen badger twice and fleetingly. I do always have my dog with me mind. So, in my book you're fortunate to see so many.

 

[British Red]

Weird isn't it. I do see loads - indeed I am actively monitoring a couple of setts around here. But there are a quarter million or more of them in the UK so really not that unusual. Other things that some of my neighbours think of as "ordinary" (such as otters) are much more remarkable to me. I guess familiarity breeds contempt. Was out eating lunch the other day with my wife (sat on the sea bank) when a couple walked by. They asked us to settle an argument as to whether the "big bird" in the sky was a buzzard?

"Nope" I replied

She said to him "see I told you it was nothing rare"

"Indeed", I said "Just a Marsh Harrier"

To be fair - they aren't that uncommon around here

 

[treadlightly]

The area i am talking about gets quite a lot of human traffic including lots of dogvwalkers. Maybe that could explain it? That or my deodorant

 

[British Red]

Might well do - they are aren't really what you would call "shy" in my experience - more easily startled. We tend to see them when walking or standing quietly (no torch) around dusk or on moonlit nights. We do that a lot (walk most evenings). I have seen them in broad daylight in the undergrowth around a busy golf course though. I wouldn't be at all surprised if its the dog sound and scent that makes them scoot off.

 

[Joonsy]

from my observations badgers are now extremely common, i see them all the time by just stumbling on them without making any special effort to see them, i see them very frequently in places busy with human activity as well as more remote places, they never seem to be particulary shy either and there is a local woodland trust woodland that is very busy with walkers many with dogs which contains three big occupied setts. The key is you are not likely to see them during the day and i know of people who have never seen one even though living only a few yards from a habitated sett where they are very common, get out after dusk, even just driving after dark i have seen lots on the roads.

 

[treadlightly]

I do often walk around dusk with no torch as I like to rely on natural light. It must be my deodorant!!

 

[Joonsy]

I do often walk around dusk with no torch as I like to rely on natural light. It must be my deodorant!!

'deodorant' is an extinct species in my house, never use the stuff, mind you i do live alone