Gordon Buchanan's badger stake out
Post categories: In depth
| 10:03 UK time, Monday, 18 May 2009
Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan, loved by our viewers for his Glasgow fox diary and his reports from the breeding seals on the Farne Islands, goes on the trail of the elusive badger.
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With the help of Don, an 83-year-old man from Essex who's been watching one group of badgers for over 50 years, Gordon sets out to unveil the intricacies of badger society and the complex relationships and social structures within a badger sett.
Enjoy the daily antics of this badger family group as this year's cubs grow up and begin to assert themselves. Gordon will update us daily from our secret location in Essex. Don's intimate knowledge of each of "his" badgers will reveal fascinating insights into one of our best-loved mammals. Who will be the main players in Don's badger clan in 2009? Will there be a new kid on the block or will the old-timer alpha male continue to rule?
Gordon also broadens his mission to investigate other aspects of badger behaviour in depth, and attempt to answer questions you've always asked. What do they get up to underground? Why do we see so many dead badgers beside roads in the spring? How do you look after orphaned baby badgers and give them the best chance when they return to the wild?
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~32~RS~)
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About five years ago we spotted a badger in our garden. It didn't do any harm. However five years on we now have a chicken eating badger. The extent it has gone to to get into the locked chicken coop has been unbelievable. It has moved a bag of sand and has learnt to nuzzle up the door to get in. The only problem it has had is getting back out and has still been in the coop when going to let the chickens out in the morning. Since Easter it has killed 10 chickens and the distruction it leaves is far worse than the fox. We have also found that it actually eats the hen while it is still alive rather than killing it to eat. Touch wood we have now hopefully secured the coop although we have to check before locking them up as we are sure that sometimes in the past it has hidden in the corner of the coop before locking them up. We love our wildlife and the badger is a lovely animal and do not want to see them come to any harm and see this as being part of nature but do you have any tips on how to keep them away from our chickens.
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As Gordon is already in Essex, he might like to know that a friend of mine has been feeding a family of badgers by hand at a caravan park in Burnham on Sea for the last two summers. The animals regularly come to the door of the caravan normally at dusk or soon afterwards. Contact detail available if required.
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As springwatch is in Wales and also have the Badger watch.
Shouldn't the programme discuss the idiotic badger cull implemented by the idiotic Welsh Assembly Government where they plan to annihilate the population of badgers in west Wales to see if it might help with TB in cattle.
Surely this is worthy of comment I appreciate that the BBC Springwatch is not political but the welfare of the animals should be discussed.
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I loved watching Gordon Buchanan's badger film last night and look forward to see how the stakeout unfolds in future films in the series.
The Badger is a lovely creature and it's great to see it with normal cameras rather than the night vision ones. With Wales being heavily featured in Springwatch, Badger fans may like to know there is a Welsh chap, who's very similiar to Don. He's Gareth Morgan and he's known as the Mid Wales Badger Man, and he has a family of badgers that he's been visiting for over 25 years. he's made a film, and you can view a free 3 minute trailer on his website (midwalesbadgerman.com) Some lovely shots in daylight and all in colour!
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I nearly jumped out of my chair last night when I saw the badgers!!!! We have a sett at our school - the school where I teach and am deputy. The badgers (Boris and his family as we call them) moved in about 4 years ago and we have now got a night cam set up to watch them. We are part of the derbyshire schools birdcam project and have both a birdcam in abirdbox, a camera watching the badgers and will soon have a pond cam too!
We have our badger sett registered with the Derbyhire wildlife trust and have the support of our local badger group. The children love them! I can't wait to go back to school next Monday to find out if they have been watching!
Jacqui Johnson - Eureka Primary School
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Some years ago I was lucky enough to have a blind badger feed from my hand in West Wales. Amazing experience. Love the footage from Gordon.
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What is the most effective way of stopping badgers digging holes (approx. 3-6 inches diameter) in large numbers on my lawn. This started about 3 weeks ago and has been occurring many times a week since then. This has never been a problem before although we have been in this house for over 20 years.The lawn has large areas of moss and it is particularly in these areas that the badgers dig (though not exclusively). It seems that leather-jackets may be the attraction. We have tried ,without success , to see the badgers.
To date there are about 50 snuffle-holes in the lawn, so we are almost sure it is due to badgers because no other animals would have the strength to tear up the turf as it has been. We live in a country area and we are assured by local farmers that this is obvious badger activity, but no humane solution to the problem has been offered other than sprinkling strong disinfectant round the edge of the lawn (which has proved unsuccessful).
We would welcome suggestions for a humane method of deterrent.
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Wow, what amazing shots of the badger cubs at Secret World on last nights show!
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I have a pdf file of my notes of September 14th 1957 of badgers at Don's home site that I could send if he wishes. Peter Blomfield, Miss Drake, Mrs Whur (sic) and Clifford Jolly were there too and saw, among other badgers, a cub knicknamed "Punch".
As this file could compromise the secrecy of the site, I will only release it if asked by Don.
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I agree with "bluepedro1" that the extensive badger cull in Wales should be brought to the attention of Springwatch viewers.
The findings of the latest survey showing that TB is actually transmitted from cattle to cattle with no actual contact from badgers, should be discussed.
In todays newspaper I read that having listened to the view of many farmers,David Cameron has also decided to have a major badger cull if/when he comes to power.
Will anybody speak up about the plight of the badger?
Springwatch has at least got the power/opportunity to put forward the evidence gathered in its defense.
Please at least give it a mention.
The films presented by Gordon are fantastic,and make everything in the garden look rosy, but what awaits these mysterious, shy creatures?
Will Don's badger clan be affected?
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Dear Gordon I have a badger who visits me from about 7.30 pm onwards, I have taken some pictures of him(or her) in daylight.He(or her)does not seem too bothered if I am nearby. I live near the South Downs, but as far as I know the nearest set is about 1/2 mile away. Peanut butter sandwiches are favourite, as well as dog food and apple. Virtuousdigger
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Holidays mid wales & Badgres
whilst springwatch are in mid wales why not try
Cringoed Caravan & Camping Park
The Birches, Machynlleth, SY19 7DR
phone:01650 521237
we have been going hear for years. it is a small family run park and has a stream / river Birds , Badgers & Set , Bats all in a woodland setting
Shiny dave.wheildon@googlemail.com
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T.B in badgers is a very hot one to say the very least ,i know as i worked for defra as a fieldsman, trapper dealing with T.b and badgers for many years .
I can only say i have a great deal of respect for the badger even if some of them do carry T.b i do wish there was an easy-way out of the problem
kind regards
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There is absolutely no reason to cull badgers if only the powers that be would follow the research of Mark Purdey - the maverick environmental scientist who came to fame over mad cow disease and what he considered to be real the causative factors of BSE. - Mark states that Bovine TB depends on high levels of iron in the soil - he maintains that the TB mycobacterium is totally dependant on a supply of free iron within the host tissues - this iron is taken up where there is a high acidity and a high level of iron within the soil - ie all the TB hot spots - the remedy is to lime the soil and to treat the cattle -badgers and all - with lactoferrin to eliminate the iron within their systems - if you can influence the levels of free iron you can control the disease - Marks theories have been tested by the Americans and the Germans and there are many scientists and particularly organic farmers who have followed Marks theories and found them to be valid - George Mombiot is a great believer and has in writing stated that in a different time and age Mark's work on environmental and chemical causes of disease would warrent a Nobel prize - badgers do not have to be sacrificed - sorting out TB would be cheap and easy - maybe thats the problem - somebody wants to wait for a vaccine .
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I live in Last of the Summer Wine country and am most priveleged to have badgers in my garden. More especially, on my patio outside the window, where I feed them at night time. I know that badgers get bad press, but in my experience, they are like most animals - pretty lazy and take the line of least resistance. They are large animals with a healthy appetite. If their normal diet of worms is not available, often when the weather is dry, then of course they'll take anything they can get to survive. With food always available in my garden, I have seen badgers eat alongside hedgehogs, foxes and cats. I have very little damage to my lawn and flowerbeds. It's an honour to see this shy, nighttime creature so regularly. Badgers were here long before we started to develop their habitat with housing estates, transport routes and intensive dairy/beef farming. As with all of our native wildlife, they are part of our heritage and we should preserve and protect them as best we can.
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