In episode 12 of the Injured Badger Hole Adventures I revisit the sett of the injured badger by going up the usual path - through the forest, as opposed to across a field.
It was Day 16 of my Adventures at the Injured Badger Hole, and the outside temperature on that day was -16 degrees Celsius. That coincidence was unintended.
On the way up through the forest I pass by a fresh water spring from where I often drink, and to my surprise, despite the deep sub-zero temperatures, the outflow of water from underground remained unaffected by the cold weather, though pools of water as it flew down the hill froze solid.
Up on the hill there was a patch of melted snow, as though a wild animal was resting/sleeping there. The same type of melted patch (two of them) were also encountered by me as I went up the field in Episode 9 of the Adventures.
Woodpecker Decker showed up as soon as I reached the top of the forest near the injured badger’s sett.
The Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes), apparently the same fox who had visited the injured badger’s sett on two occasions before (in Episode 9 and Episode 10), revisited the sett both during the day and then again at night. Both his visits were captured on my trail camera. He took a day off when the den was visited by a canine (see Episode 11), but now he’s back and with more interest in the burrow than before.
I started thinking that maybe he didn’t quite like this burrow as much, but after last night’s visit I’m back at thinking he definitely thinks of claiming the burrow for himself. I now wonder if maybe his hesitancy to claim it full on is based on his senses telling him the original owner is still inside.
Granted, the badger has not come out in over two weeks, and despite being scrawny for a badger at the beginning of winter, he’s not made any attempt to get fat, not even when I was bringing food to his sett, but if he was indeed dead, wouldn’t the fox claim his fine built home if it was readily available?
I don’t have an answer at this point, and given my history with the injured badger, I wish with all my heart that he survive. That hope has been fading rapidly, but I feel it rekindled once again.
00:00 Walking up forest trail in -16 degrees Celsius
01:25 Deer hoof tracks in frozen ground
02:05 Fresh water spring in winter
02:45 Wildlife rest mark on snow-covered ground
03:23 Woodpecker Decker pecks on wrong side of branch
03:54 Day 16 at the injured badger hole
04:19 Trail cam footage of the fox visiting the badger den
Keep rocking :o)
Mark
https://www.nophoneman.com/
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