Another bank holiday weekend passes and lots going on, as usual! A couple of new projects I am working on for Wildlife Whisperer, which you will hear a little more about in the coming months have kept me busy and I also returned to badger hollow. I have set both Bushnells up in a slightly different positions… both facing different entrances. I will pick them up on Wed morning, so they will have had 3 nights in the field.
I have also been incubating eggs for the school I teach at. They were meant to start hatching tomorrow when I returned, but they started hatching today! Very exciting for me, but I had really wanted to share it with the kids. I managed to get it on my live cams early evening and those who were watching were treated to the hatching of the second chick… right in front of the camera! As I write now, we have two chicks out of 11. I will leave it on tonight so take a peep if you have a chance.
The great tit chicks in the Discovery box are growing at an amazing pace and looking great. The parents are in and out constantly with huge grubs and caterpillars, so I am sure they are going to thrive. The other nest boxes are still incubating and I they are due to hatch next week.
The foxes are visiting every night, with Fern often appearing around 7.30pm. I have been getting her used to me being at the window again and tonight she let me take some photos whilst leaning out of the window. Yesterday, she sat facing me and with the binoculars, I could see clearly that she is lactating… so she definitely has cubs somewhere! I cant wait to see those… hopefully in the next few months. Seeing them in daylight has also given me the chance to get to recognise them again… it is hard on the IR. Fern and Flynn are easy for me to recognise and then Tess is visiting as well. She is the smallest of the cubs from last year. Then, yesterday, I saw another individual, who must also be one of last year’s cubs. It had a distinctive white tip to the end of its tail and by the way it behaved to Fern… very submissive, I am pretty sure this must be another of last year’s cubs. I had thought we had had one female and two males, but if this cub is still hanging around, it must be a vixen.
I am sure there will be lots of action next week, so keep an eye out on my live cams.
Comments