Badger Trouble in Midsummer

I have been a little curious as to why one of my bird feeders is always empty when I look at it in the mornings. I had thought that hungry little birds were just getting up before me but you will guess from the title who the real culprit is and a carefully positioned camera trap provides the proof.

Badger at the bird feeder

It takes him about 25 minutes to siphon almost out all the bird food and then.....

When there are just a few seeds left (by the way this is 'high energy loss mess bird seed - none of the cheap stuff) the feeder falls apart.

Joined by a few friends the enterprising badger finishes off the last few grains. 

Midsummer badgers 2016 REV

Up to nine badgers are passing through the garden at night at the moment. Half of these are youngsters, this year's cubs. They are the smaller and swift moving ones in the three short film clips below.

Ignore the time stamp above (its wrong) the date is July 7th and the time about 10pm.

Take me off to Exmoor now that Summer's here!

A stroll along the East Lyn River from Lynmouth to Watersmeet at high summer.

Grey wagtails in the torrents.

And a juvenile dipper.

Watersmeet - a teahouse in the wild

 

foxgloves

silver-streaked fritiliary

chaffinch

Lynmouth

Then on to the Valley of the Rocks

And thence to ancient Tarr Steps

Song Thrush

And again

Juvenile (European) Robin