Nocturnal visitors

29 Mar 2022

Working at my cobbled-together-for-covid-still-totally-fine makeshift standing desk in the kitchen a few nights ago, I was distracted by a peculiar noise. Like somebody with a cold hyperventilating, and coming from the bottom of the thick beech hedge alongside our garden, it was loud enough for me to hear it even though the windows and door were closed.

I swung the door open and was astonished to see a long, black and white striped face fossicking along: a badger! Sarah and I sort of watched it for a bit (pretty much impossible to see what’s going on in there, even without leaves on the trees) and then we switched off the outdoor lights and left it alone, hoping it wouldn’t be disturbed.

Later that evening I snuck out again - it was there again, and I could hear it crunching snails. I imagined it throwing its head back and chomping them gleefully. It spotted me, froze, and then lolloped off. I was lucky enough - it being a bright moonlit night - to see where it scarpered to.

Thanks to Girton friends we have been able to borrow a motion-detecting nature camera and, after a few false starts, begun to be able to observe our new nocturnal neighbour bumbling around, scent marking and snaffling carrots. We’ve also been lucky enough to capture a few different bird species and a hedgehog!

Tags: personal, nature, video, cambridge, girton

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