Human beings are diurnal animals – we are awake during the day, but as the light fails so does our sight.
To keep ourselves safe through the moonlight hours we hide ourselves away, so for the longest time nocturnal animals were shrouded in mystery, the stuff of nightmares, myth and legend.
Little did we know that nocturnal animals are charismatic creatures, truly fascinating to observe.
© Neil Aldridge
Elusive as they are, badgers are fairly easy to spot once you have located a sett (it is best to do this in daylight). Badgers live in groups from five up to 50, and can have huge underground tunnel networks marked by large mounds of excavated soil. Setts are not always occupied all year round (badgers can have many setts that they move between), so look out for clues that a sett is occupied, such as well-worn paths, black and white hair caught on branches and footprints.
Although badgers’ eyesight is not brilliant, they have extremely sensitive hearing and an excellent sense of smell. They are very wary of humans, so if a breeze wafts your scent in a badger’s direction it is highly unlikely that you will see it. Similarly, if they hear you rustling they will sense danger and flee.
However, if you succeed in blending into the background and manage to spot a relaxed group of badgers in their natural environment, you will be greatly rewarded. Badgers are extremely charismatic and wonderful to watch – have patience, and you may see these beautiful animals playing, grooming or feeding. Be sure to keep at a safe distance though, as they can be territorial!
© Tom Marshall
These affable insectivores have sadly declined in numbers in recent years, so are becoming increasingly difficult to spot. It is, however, a real delight to watch them snuffling along in search of worms and beetles, so it is well worth persevering.
Most commonly seen late at night in parks and gardens, hedgehogs are a gardener’s best friend, happily devouring the pesky insects that blight our vegetable patches. Hedgehogs tend to travel from one garden to the next in search of the best bounty, so setting up a hedgehog café is an excellent way to tempt them into your garden. They are particularly partial to cat food – leave a bowl of Whiskas finest in a dimly lit area and with a bit of luck, you’ll attract a hungry hog.
