Somewhere in the beginnings of this thread, I posted pictures of our front and back lawns after they had been raided by Badgers looking for autumnal grubs.
Frankly, they left a hell of a mess. I wasn't too bothered as neither lawn is a horticultural work of art and the turf was mostly left in a state where it could be reinstated reasonably easily.
My biggest gripe was that I never got to see the creatures only the aftermath.
The only time most people will have ever seen a Badger is when one has perished on the road.
I've been fortunate in having access to some private land in recent years, spotting the elusive creatures there but never in our garden.
Fast forward to last Spring. One evening I went out into the conservatory to lock up and normally I would just rely on the light from the living room but for some reason I switched on the conservatory light which illuminated the back garden. There staring back at me was a black and white striped face!
In an attempt to get a better look I started leaving out peanuts in the garden and we've had nightly visits ever since.
They have poor eyesight and it is possible to shine a torch without frightening the creatures so we can get a good view.
I recently treated myself to a trail cam or camera trap which arrived on Saturday.
I didn't attempt to use it that evening as it snowed most of the day and into the night.
Yesterday evening I set up the camera but due to operator error (note to self: read the sodding manual) it didn't work.
This evening I was blessed with more success because, mirabile dictu, not just one but two Badgers turned up!
There's still a bit to do in terms of where to place the food in relation to the camera and adjustments to make for best results but I think I'm off to a reasonable start.
Taken within the last hour, by the way.