So this is my new Winter / Christmas scene this year, this urban moving into rurual Winter landscape which is die cut and features a separate stand up hare and fox. It is large at 59cm long x 21cm high and folds up so you can post it in a C5 envelope. Price £9. www.johnbloor.co.uk/collections/...

The rain has brought earthworms to the surface and the badgers are working the fields. Vibration from footsteps (or light from a torch) will send the worm back underground but badgers are experts. #mammals

Collecting in a large bundle of grass bedding just in case in does rain.

A lesser stag beetle, seen on a busy lane yesterday evening. Gently moved to the wide grass verge for safety.

Mr Arbuckle making the most of the plum season, enjoying the sweet juicy flavour. He has no problem sniffing out the last one. #mammals

Volume on! (Sound is straight from bat, no detector or amp!). This little Whiskered bat was found roosting on Holland & Barrett's door, Honiton. The species is always full of rage! (Maybe he wanted a calming herbal tea?). Safely released. #bats #wildlife #nature @batconservation.bsky.social

There are no plum trees in the hedges near Mr Arbuckle so I bring him some seasonal windfalls, he clearly enjoys them. #mammals

A damp day and some light drizzle on the walk back from the badgers, enough to bring a few toads out.

Mr Arbuckle looking and listening.

A few of the garden ants climbed out from under the patio in their special aviator gear this week.

A little bit early in the evening for the #badger cub to leave the safety of the sett entrance but a stretch to reach an offered peanut is in order. #mammals

A fresh male Bombus lapidarius drinking nectar.

The inner part of a broken nest of what looks like a Median #Wasp, not one I am familiar with. I read that they normally nest well above ground, this one was in tall grasses on a footpath.

The young starlings crowded around the bowls of water put out on the garden table for starling style squabbling bathing. I think they enjoyed themselves.

The lovely @braintreemuseum.bsky.social has an exhibition of Toys and Games which includes perhaps the best display of #Brendatoys soft toys in recent times. Last day is Saturday 28th. Brenda Cheese deserves to be better known for her work.

The cub was quite excited to see the two grooming badgers although they were clearly not going to be interrupted.

Badger cub sitting down and working through a tray of puppy food with hydration drink mixed in.

Cub on his way to some food, he knows where it will be.

Badger cub finishing off his breakfast, he eats 150g of puppy food mixed with hydration fluid in one sitting which is good going for such a little one, and he often comes back for seconds after a few minutes rest.

Two cubs have made their appearance at the sett, one is more adventurous than the other and will even jab at the much bigger adult badgers if they are in the way.

Our Planning team needs more help to reviews applications and sends comments. Badgers can coexist with development if given space and habitat connectivity. We are their voice. 🦡 If you can help let us know! Find out more: buff.ly/nH2KRlo #BadgerProtection #PlanningForNature #WildlifeMatters

Trees that hold trees. This kangaroo sapling has grown in a damp natural bowl about a metre off the ground on the north side of a mature tree.

The clay that forms the roof over the badger sett has shrunk as it has dried out, creating polygonal tiles wherever the tension is too much for the clay to resist.

Mr Arbuckle thoroughly enjoying his share of a sweet and juicy pear.

A hedgehog in my hat. A large hedgehog encountered on a path this lunchtime during a longer than expected walk. No obvious injury but being out in the day a detour was made to the local vet for a check. Hat now in quarantine.

Mr Arbuckle eyeing up or more likely sniffing out some peanuts.

Evening breakfast for the badgers.

Walking back from seeing the badgers with the magic of a new moon in the reflected light from the Earth.

A pinhole projected image of the partial eclipse.

Dusk and the light is fading, but the absence of leaves combined with a bright sky gives a few moments of wonderful colour.

The toads were back around the pond tonight with more activity in the pond than before. It is remarkable just how many appear seemingly out of nowhere.

If there is bedding material up for grabs a badger will claim it with a scent mark, to be collected later.

The Lindseth collection of Lewis Carroll books and documents in the Upper Library Christ Church Oxford is worth a visit for Alice fans and as a bonus there are these remarkable carved figures by F G Todhunter.

Moonlight foraging, the badgers were noticeably more nervous than usual and ready to run back to cover but there was nothing obvious to cause this.

These lovely and stylish endpapers were created by Eileen Mayo in 1949 for Pleiades Books. ‘Larger Animals of the Countryside’

Gusts of wind disturbed the #Yew tree pollen and as it took to the air the sunlight, filtering through the branches, created a wonderful pattern of beams.

A golden glow on the western horizon as a cold night begins to take hold. The delicate new moon is out of frame, Venus shows as a bright point of light well ahead of the stars.

Mr Arbuckle has the sneezes, it could simply be dust but I think it is more likely to be an effect of an injury from some recent territorial fighting.

One of the badgers helping me test a trail camera that I bought from a charity shop. The infra red flash is bright to my low light camera but invisible to the badgers however badgers can hear the camera click as it switches on.

Trying to find an academic reference regarding the importance of badgers as ecosystem engineers. I've got this www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12... but I'd rather something which didn't reference their hunting! Anyone know of anything better? Pls Repost

A nice find on today's badger sett checking walk and it looks like the badgers and the rabbits in this area have swapped places.

Flying badger, a rare in the air moment for blaireau. The stop and listen shows this was a carefully targeted pounce likely against another badger considered as competition.

A cautious start to the evening from the badgers gave way to a relaxed feed.

Join me at The Old Fire Station, Oxford on 29th March!

The new moon is now a few days old and giving some delicate light to the nighttime landscape. The badgers are of one mind and out for some food, it may be frosty later on.

The early part of the night was reasonably bright, for a moonless winter sky, allowing for a bit of colour video.

Mr Arbuckle keeps a check on everything that is going on.

Moonlight badgers, frosty but bright under a near full moon.

A winter pear for the badger breakfast. A welcome sweet juicy treat in the cold wet month of January.

Happy New Year to all the wildlife watchers across the world.