This weekend, I decided I must meet my
Badgers, so, dressed glamorously in my black silk balaclava and black cloak, I sat in a garden chair outside my back door with camera, and waited. It was very cold. It certainly is autumnal now! After a while, I heard a noise. I had never realised, in my up-to-now nonexistant experience of
Badgers, how noisy they are. Down the slope from the top garden, sounding like a clockwork toy, came a chuntering, peanut-munching
Badger, round to the top of the step that leads to my back door, and maybe a yard and a half to two yards away from me. I was shaking with excitement. He was so beautiful! I took his photograph, no flash or zoom. I don't want to use flash on them. It seems intrusive. He gave me a look as if you say, 'you promised me you wouldn't do that!' and turned round and went trundling back up the slope. (The picture was a bit blurred, due to the trembling.) Later, I walked quietly round from the front door to peer round the side of the house, and there were three of them, outside my back door and under the dining room window, burrowing around. Again, what a racket! Rhythmic chewing and crunching. They hurried off, so I'm going to leave them alone now, but I'm so pleased I've met them! One of the highlights of my life!
I've also been standing around, wearing lots of layers, during the day in various parts of the garden, just observing, and wishing we'd moved in earlier in the year when it was warmer. But the birds are not bothered by me, great spotted woodpecker very nonchalant, and goldfinches and greenfinches, who have now arrived in great numbers, giving it large on the niger feeders. This is very thrilling to me, after so long with just a concrete square for a back garden. A good weekend! And my middle son, who is solitary, and never visits called round to see the new house, so my cup runneth over.
