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Feb 10, 2010, 6:39am

Mother Earth :: Animal Kingdom :: Wildlife - Mammals :: Meet the Birts (or Badgers in my garden)

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Topic: Meet the Birts (or Badgers in my garden) (Read 112 times)

nazimundo
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Meet the Birts (or Badgers in my garden)
« Thread Started on Sept 6, 2008, 8:51pm »

A few years ago I discovered we had night time visitors to the woods just next to our garden. When our dog rolled in something with a revolting smell I found that the local Badger population were using it as a toilet. I wanted to take photos and set up a makeshift hide between two trees. It wasn't very successful as there were millions of midges bitting your ankles as you lay on the ground in complete darkness. ( No street lights in this part of the country)
I heard that Badgers are particularly fond of peanuts so over a few nights I laid a trail of nuts from the wood across the lawn. Each night I brought it a wee bit closer to my front window. Eventually the Badgers would come to the window every night to feed. There seemed to be a family consisting two elderly ones and a couple of mature adults later they were joined by three young ones. My 8 year old Niece christened them The Birts. They visited regularly for about 18 months then timber operations disturbed their routine. There was no direct interference with their habitat as this was in a different area.
Many friends and neighbours came to watch them including our 88 year old Landlord who had never seem a live Badger before. Although they came very close to the house and didn't bother about slight noise or bright lights we made no attempt to tame them. They remained fully wild creatures.

In order to get these photos I built an imitation sett in front of the living room window.

A young Badger checks to see if all ok.

Sett under construction and checking the slave flashes.

Sett in daylight.

A few of the photos I got.

There was a hollow full of peanuts just out of sight under his nose.

Although they no longer come to the garden I still know they are ok and I keep an eye on their sett.

ps As well as peanuts Badgers also love Dog biscuits covered in treacle and christmas cake.

Alfie

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DAG
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Re: Meet the Birts (or Badgers in my garden)
« Reply #1 on Sept 7, 2008, 7:10am »

What fantastic pictures Alfie, I think this is truly a professional job and the best I have ever seen, I remember a documentary on tv and never even saw as much as that!

I have a particular interest in badgers as they often come into my garden in the early spring. I have never seen one in real life, but they have a habit of raking through any pots with nice fresh compost in them and digging out my plants to get at the insects.

In an effort to stop them ruining my plants in pots I tried the recommended method of placing thick strong wire mesh over the container before the plant grows so that it grows through the mesh and the mesh is bent down with pliers and runs deep into the pot soil.

What a waste of time, didn't realize badgers carry a tool kit with them, they easily bent the mesh and prized it up at right angles and then got in underneath and wreaked havoc!

My garden is heavy clay soil and I think the badgers are lazy and take the easy way out probably knowing that pots only contain nice soft compost!

Anyway, I have given up trying to stop them, at least they are on my side when it comes to slugs! ::)

« Last Edit: Sept 7, 2008, 9:12am by DAG »

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kedigato
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Re: Meet the Birts (or Badgers in my garden)
« Reply #2 on Sept 7, 2008, 8:26am »

I can only quote DAG, "What fantastic pictures Alfie, I think this is truly a professional job and the best I have ever seen".

I've never seen a live badger either, what a wonderful experience to have had them right in the garden and up to the house! Better than any TV show.

Whatever made you give them dog biscuits with treacle and Christmas cake

That gave me a laugh.

DAG, a shame about all the pots getting messed up like that, very frustrating

and I bet you were hopping mad >:(

. It's their nature to dig for grubs - but please in the neighbours garden and pots and not in mine, eh?

« Last Edit: Sept 7, 2008, 8:31am by kedigato »

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mikkel
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Re: Meet the Birts (or Badgers in my garden)
« Reply #3 on Sept 7, 2008, 11:49am »

Brilliant Alfie and Thank you.

To me, Badgers are like Borders and Beautiful. I too have yet to see a real live one, because the only ones I have been fortunate to see, were sadly all road-kills and laying beside the road.

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nazimundo
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Re: Meet the Birts (or Badgers in my garden)
« Reply #4 on Sept 7, 2008, 9:32pm »

Thanks for all the lovely comments, It was great fun having the Badgers come to the garden and I was very disappointed when they stopped coming.
Each one had their on personality and one of our favourite ones was one we chistened Granda Birt, he was very old looking with many scars and was pale grey in colour. One night after eating some food he must have had an itch and started to scratch ending up sitting on his bum using his front claws to scratch his tummy and sides just like an old lady after she takes her corsets off. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of him as he stopped coming before I got things set up. I have had a look today and have found some of their tracks not too far from the house so I might try and set up a hide to see if I can get some more photos, this will have to be in the wood as I won't be allowed to dig up the garden again to make another imitation sett. (Peanuts Treacle and dog bicuits on the shopping list on tuesday) I found out about Badgers liking Treacle and dog biscuits from an article I read somewhere, they also love Raisens and Sultanas. The christmas cake is another story.

Checking if alls clear

All clear?

Yep

Lets go

What you looking at?

Wow food

Peanuts!

Yum

I think I may have a few more if I find them I'll post them

Alfie

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kedigato
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Re: Meet the Birts (or Badgers in my garden)
« Reply #5 on Sept 8, 2008, 6:23am »

Thanks for the extra info and pics, much appreciated. I must say that this is a wonderful thread and I'm sure everyone has enjoyed it as much as I have - and looking forward to another episode!

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DAG
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Re: Meet the Birts (or Badgers in my garden)
« Reply #6 on Sept 8, 2008, 11:28am »

I second that!

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