New Forest Wildlife Blog - June 2009

Badgers, birds, deer and other wildlife

Monday 1st
Badger watch at a favourite sett in a small copse in the north of the New Forest. Weather calm and warm; clear sky after a hot, sunny day. Arrived: 19.55 hours. Sunset: 21.10.

Had watched at this sett three weeks ago, and the badgers – 2 cubs from this year and a very pale-tailed adult - did not appear until 20.45. Had also watched, or attempted to watch, 10 days ago, but campers with tents illegally pitched nearby were in the wood at dusk, collecting firewood – not conducive to badger watching.
 
First appearance above ground tonight was almost immediate. The two youngsters emerged first, maybe prompted by the heat to vacate the sett early. The pale-tailed adult, presumably the sow, appeared 25 minutes later, and seemed to arrive from a distance away – maybe it had emerged even earlier, or had spent the day bedded down above ground.

Anyway, over a period of 1¾ hours, all three provided excellent views as they groomed together and subsequently, still together, searched for morsels amongst the leaf litter, approaching to within about 10 feet of where we stood.

Eventually, suspecting they were not alone, they backed off. Maybe a hint of breeze carried our scent to them, or perhaps they noticed the shadowy outline of figures amongst the trees. But there was no sign of panic; they were simply a little uncertain of themselves, and decided on a prudent retreat to the far side of the sett, where they continued to groom.

A fourth animal, another adult, was also present, but did not join the foraging party – this, presumably, was the boar, keeping a watchful eye on the family, but not getting too involved.
The cubs’ small size and a brown tint to the grey, black and white coat were very noticeable.

Rabbits also present, and a single fox cub, which also came within feet of where we stood. Unusual! Wonder what happened to the rest of the litter.

Left at 21.55.

2nd June
Visited the ‘copse’ sett in mid-afternoon to examine entrances on the far side, those out of sight of the usual viewing position. The fox cub was amongst bracken on the adjacent heath, at least 200 yards from the sett. Seemed pleased to be out in the sunlight.

Thursday 11th
Back to the ‘copse’ badgers’ sett. Weather calm, warm, dry, overcast after a couple of days of intermittent, torrential rain. Skylark singing overhead on the heath, willow warbler also singing nearby, and a song thrush mimicking some of the notes of a woodlark. Arrived at the sett: 19.50 hours. Sunset: 21.19.

First badger emergence 20.35 hours, by the pale-tailed sow. She spent 55 minutes dragging bedding material – dry leaves from the woodland floor – into two separate sett entrances, and was helped for 20 minutes by the second adult, which then tired of the task and wandered off. Cargoes of leaves, clasped between the front legs, and then held against the chest, rapidly dragged backwards towards, and into, the sett entrances. Both animals worked quickly and travelled around 25 yards in search of fresh supplies.

There was a real sense of urgency in the work. The wet weather of the last few days had probably saturated the existing bedding, necessitating collection of large quantities of replacement material. Can’t remember seeing badgers at this time of year spend so much time dragging leaves underground – often a couple of bundles on first emergence, but not constant effort, by one animal for almost an hour.

No sign at all of the 2 badger cubs – hope they’re ok. Maybe they simply remained out of the way whilst work was underway. The sow too busy to look after them.

Rabbits also present, and the single fox cub, but didn’t see that until 21.30. It could have been out earlier, unseen on the far side of the sett. Blackbirds and a mistle thrush had alarmed agitatedly at 20.25 and again at 21.15. Maybe this was in response to a feeding visit by an adult fox. The cub looks healthy and well-fed, and has certainly not been abandoned. It came close to where we stood in the gloom, foraging amongst the leaf litter - maybe old enough already to find some of its own food.

Left at 21.45 to the sound of a churring nightjar. Single common pipistrelle foraging along the path leading away from the sett. No tawny owls heard tonight, though – they’re probably too busy hunting, finding food to feed their own growing broods. 

Friday 12th
Short walk alongside Highland Water enlivened by two mandarin families, both anxious to avoid a close encounter. Five tiny chicks visible in the first group, as they seemed to run over the water before scattering ashore - pity to have accidentally disturbed them. No sign of an adult. Two older youngsters seen in the second group, with an adult female nearby. She engaged in extravagant distraction display, feigning a damaged wing as she flapped about on the water's surface. Again, a shame to have accidentally disturbed them.

Saturday 13th
Nice group of seven fallow bucks seen at around 21.15, close to Denny Inclosure. Pristine summer coats, antlers heavily in velvet. One large animal with antlers perhaps half grown; the others smaller beasts with less well-grown heads.

Nightjars churring later in two areas of relatively recently cleared conifers. Felling in the inclosures is good for nightjars!

Sunday 14th
Mid-morning - hawfinch showing well in my neighbour's Lyndhurst front garden. It's been present intermittently for at least one week, feeding on unripe berries.

Afternoon walk on and around Hampton Ridge. Warm and sunny with lots of people about.
Herd of at least six fallow bucks grazing on an open hillside not far from a main path. As yesterday, one particularly large animal with half-grown antlers; others smaller with less well-developed heads. All with pristine summer coats, and, needless to say, heavily in velvet.

Single roe buck not far away, largely concealed by woodland undergrowth. Antlers completely free of velvet.

Tueday 16th
The trials and joys of badger watching! After a hot day, went to the ‘copse’ sett quite early in the evening, expecting the badger cubs to be quickly above ground. Got into a pre-planned, well-concealed position at 19.45. Didn’t bargain, though, for a dog walker on the sett at 20.00, with pooch that insisted on examining every sett entrance.

Didn’t anticipate, either, the arrival of two other badger watchers 10 minutes later. After walking around the sett spreading badger food – peanuts, maybe – they noisily unfolded chairs and sat down in the open, quite close to a much used sett entrance. Then, after belatedly realising they were not alone, one came noisily over to explain that they had not seen me, and to ask about my photographic equipment. Not helpful! Through gritted teeth, I suggested that walking about the sett close to the time of emergence was not great preparation for seeing badgers. The newcomer explained that he’d only ever watched badgers once before, having been taken to the sett by a friend. Offered then to move back from their wholly unsuitable viewing position, but that would have caused even more disturbance.

Everyone has to learn, but a little research to identify required fieldcraft skills is always to be recommended. I left at 20.25 – not worth staying longer.

17th June
Dusk walk around Matley Wood. Overcast, light drizzle, warm.
Search for young tawny owls, which at this time of year, when newly out of the nest, betray presence by repeated calls designed to alert parents to the location of hungry mouths.

Nothing doing, though. Maybe the weather suppressed activity; maybe there are no fledged young in the wood. (This year so far seems to have been very poor for breeding tawny owls – other local woods currently hold only one family whereas up to 10 are sometimes present. Last autumn’s mast and acorn crop was, at best, average, and the unusually hard winter weather may also have badly affected small mammal populations – food for the tawny owls. Or maybe the winter weather has simply resulted in a late breeding season. Time will tell).

Four churring nightjars present around the edge of the wood, though. Despite concerns about some long-haul summer migrants, the nightjars are here in good numbers.

19th June
Mid-afternoon visit to the 'copse' badgers' sett, and surprised to find two fox cubs above ground - only ever seen one here this year. Wonder if more are present, but mostly remain out of sight?

Yew Tree Heath and Black Down in the early evening - 23 fallow bucks close to the Beaulieu River: mixed ages, but with a single, quite large animal at the head of the group. Fleeting glimpse of a hobby, a handful of stonechats, but no Dartford warblers. Then four nightjars churring on Yew Tree Heath between 21.30 - 22.30.

20th June
Dusk walk in Denny Inclosure and Little Holm Hill Inclosure. Still only one tawny owl family group present. Two other tawny owls a distance away engaged in prolonged caterwauling - a third bird was present nearby (a female?) so the noise was presumably made by two males disputing territory. No sign of youngsters here, yet, though.

Only two bats detected. There seem to be relatively few bats in the New Forest woodlands this year, probably as a result of poor breeding success during the appalling summers of 2007 and 2008.

22nd June
Great news! Two tawny families have fledged within the last week in Pondhead Inclosure. Three pairs are present this year in this quite overgrown woodland - half the usual number. We'll soon see if the third pair fledges young as well.

Dusk chorus by daytime birds largely non-existent now - it's switched off completely over the last few days as spring turns to summer; as the breeding season ends; and for many species, the moult begins. Single short burst of song from the well-named song thrush, but nothing else.

Woodcock continue to rode, but far less than previously as this activity also quickly subsides. Both male nightjars silent - probably busy feeding their own hungry youngsters.

23rd June
Brief visit at dusk to the Parkhill ancient, unenclosed woodland. One tawny family here - probably three fledged young, but can't discount the birds' movement confusing the count.

24th June
Lots of silver-studded blue butterflies present now on the heaths, fluttering about the heather, tiny insects of great beauty. Gorse pods are ready to explode, ready to catapult out their precious cargoes of seeds. The bushes sound much like breakfast cereal - snap, crackle and pop - in the afternoon sunshine.

Badger watch in the evening at the 'copse' sett, arrive at 19.45 and settle down a distance away from the single entrance visible on the north side - the entrance currently favoured by the two cubs.

Want to take some photographs using available light - don't particularly like the way flash so often creates harsh shadows. After a warm day, am optimistic about the prospects of early emergence, but no such luck. The sun disappeared behind the western tree-line at around 21.05, and the first badger gave a fleeting glimpse in the half-light shortly after. An adult, it dashed from left to right, largely out of sight on the sett's hill-top plateau.

First cub appeared from the anticipated sett entrance at around 21.15, followed shortly after by the second cub. Neither stayed in view for long. Three pictures taken, only one of which was sharp - 300 mm lens, image stabilised, tripod, mirror locked, ISO 400, F4 at 1/5 second.

No sign at all of the fox cubs.

26th June
Ashley Walk in the afternoon. Mixed cloud and sunshine, warm, humid.
Whitethroat and yellowhammer singing on the edge of the car park - both scarce birds over much of the New Forest. Small number of linnets about, also.
Two small groups of fallow deer: Six does in one group, and three young 'spikey' bucks in the other. Away from the car parks, particularly during the week when fewer people are about, it's not unusual to encounter day-time deer close to the main tracks and paths.

20.40 - badger watch and available light photography attempt at the 'copse' sett. Sun behind cloud now, light levels low, slight breeze from the side. Willow warbler singing nearby, joined later by a song thrush and the pre-roost calls of a redstart.

Took up position quietly, a discrete distance from the cubs' sett entrance. No need to walk over the sett or go any closer.

Soon realised I was not alone, though. Two pole-mounted flashguns were positioned on either side of the sett plateau, just where the adults most often emerge. The photographer occupied a large hide made of camouflage material a short distance away. It's not possible to erect such a hide, and position flashguns, without causing a degree of disturbance. Not a good omen.

No badgers seen from my position, although the flash guns were fired three times, each on isolated occasions. I assume that an animal appeared briefly from a sett entrance, was bathed in light and just as quickly disappeared. Flashguns very noisy - loud sizzling sound that startled me a distance away; not surprising that the badgers took cover.

21.35 - hide occupant subject to a loud coughing fit. Time to go!

27th June
Hawkhill Inclosure for an hour in the middle of the afternoon. Bright, sunny, warm.
Plenty of silver-washed fritillaries on the wing, although there's not very much bramble blossom in here. Sweet aroma of pine pervades the air, complemented in the open areas by the fragrance of bog myrtle.

29th June
Back to the 'copse' sett for another attempt at photography. Very warm, humid, calm, not a cloud in the sky. Ideal badger watching conditions.

Into position at 20.20 hours, maybe 30 yards away from the entrance used by the two cubs. Hope to take a couple of pictures when they first emerge - after a hot day, maybe they'll be out early. Comfortably seated behind a pre-placed screen of sticks, camera set up on a tripod. A relaxing way to while away an hour of two. Not dissimilar to fishing, but instead of watching a float and hoping to hook a big one, I watch a badgers' sett, and hope to capture images.

2045 - couple of mistle thrushes call, and surprisingly, there's a short burst of song - very late in the year for this species. A grey squirrel scampers around the sett, gathering food - maybe nuts, or whatever, put down by the badger watchers seen earlier in the month.
21.00 - distant hoot of a tawny, blackbirds make pre-roost alarm calls and a redstart, too.
21.08 - the sun, a blazing ball of orange, disappears behind the trees away on the horizon.
No sign of the cubs yet.

21.15 - first black and white face appears in the sett entrance. The badger makes to move quickly away over the adjacent bank - a spoil heap created by the upturned roots of a fallen tree. I make a couple of soft, vocal clicking sounds, which are just enough to defer its departure long enough to take a few of pictures. Very slow shutter speeds: 1/4 second at F4, ISO 500, mirror locked, image stabilised - a couple of nice, sharp images taken.

21.30 - time to go, the light levels have really fallen off. No sign of the adults or the second cub. Song thrush still singing somewhere in the distance.

30th June
Short walk along Beechen Lane and in Pondhead Inclosure, starting at 21.25 hours. Dull, overcast, warm, humid, calm.
21.51, first roding woodcock of the evening, and nightjar churring well in a favourite area of clear-fell.
21.58, next woodcock, and again at 22.00.

Two tawny owls heard, but no evidence of youngsters.