JAYS! And badgers.

Spring is definitely in the air and today has been a warm, sunny day.  Who would have thought it's still only the middle of February.  It was beautiful walking down the hill to check the camera and a quick look on the screen showed what looked like a Jay coming down for the peanuts.  I had to look on the laptop to confirm and sure enough there were at least three, accompanied occasionally by a grey squirrel.  Lots of footage, but here are a couple of the best ones.

The inevitable badgers are still about, this one was very busy runnng around.

Jay was back again this morning, lots of frost on the field in the background.

Spring sunshine today

Trail Camera set up and ready to go.

Polecat!

Just a quick post today.  Have started putting out the trail cameras again and glad to see the usual badgers around, quite a busy spot I found on the edge of our land.  Then last night, to my surprise, the camera picked up this strange visitor.  I'm reliably informed this is a polecat, or polecat/mink hybrid.  Ignore the date on the video, I've forgotten to change the date since changing batteries so this is actually 7th Feb.

Badger tracks in the snow and a busy bird feeder.

Freezing weather with some snow, but not as bad as some parts of the UK.  I've abandoned the trail camera for quite some time apart from the odd night, but picking nothing interesting up apart from the occasional rabbit and a rat under the bird table.  Two nights ago there was enough snow to show tracks and I saw that a badger had come to the house.  I felt a little guilty that I haven't put food out for a long time, since I'd stopped picking the badger up on the camera.  No doubt the birds have dropped enough bits to attract him back so the next night I put out a few peanuts and set up the camera, but true to form, nothing but a rat and then lots of birds first thing in the morning to clean up the peanuts.  

I did attempt to retrace the tracks back up the lane with my daughter, but we got so far along the lane and then had to turn back as it was so cold, probably about minus 1 or 2 degrees.  We could have just carried on following back down the lane to goodness knows where, but too far, too cold!

Badger and cat tracks.  The cat will be ours!

Badger

Love these two Woodpeckers on the feeder

Starlings are such characters!  Cheeky Nuthatch makes a quick appearance too, although is always a regular on the feeders.

Marsh Tit, Blue Tit, Robin

Marsh Tit, Woodpecker in background, Nuthatch, Marsh Tit