August Evening Wildlife Watching Hide Update 2026
- Harris Brooker
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
August has proved to be an exceptional month for sightings at the hide, with Badgers, Pine Martens, the Scottish Wildcat, Wood Mice, Tawny Owls, Roe Deer and Red Deer all being seen. Autumn is on its way and, with it, I hope the sightings continue to be just as good as they have been this month.
Badgers
One night, the evening started off in a way I’ve not experienced before. The guests had to choose between looking for the Wildcat, which had appeared and then hidden away out of sight for the moment, and a male Badger that had come in. After a while, most people opted to watch the male Badger because he was the most visible.
After finishing feeding, the male Badger went away. Later in the evening, another Badger, either a smaller male or a larger female, came in to feed. After that one left, five females eventually appeared and fed together. At one point, two of them got into a fight that caused them both to run off, leaving another looking rather baffled! She then carried on feeding before eventually leaving for the night. It was an exceptional evening and one of the best this month.
Pine Marten
We have had several Pine Marten sightings this month, involving at least two individuals. One night, after all the Badgers had finished feeding, the female Pine Marten was seen coming in from the left-hand side, running along the top of the back wall and onto the platform. She then fed for about 10 minutes before disappearing into the night. It was thrilling for the guests and they all left very happy that night.
Scottish Wildcat
We have had some incredible views of the Scottish Wildcat this month. One night, it was the first animal to appear, even before the Badgers. It only showed briefly for some guests before climbing into a flowerbed. It then appeared again before hiding away out of sight.
When darkness came, a guest announced there was something coming from the left. They thought it was a Pine Marten and, to me, that seemed believable as they can often come in from that side. But as the animal came out, we soon saw that it was the Wildcat.
It walked along the back wall of the platform and stopped at the right-hand edge, as if waiting for something, perhaps looking to see if it could pounce on a Pine Marten climbing up the trees. Then, as two Badgers came in, it started to look uneasy, made its escape and wasn’t seen again.
That was one of the best views we’ve had of the Wildcat this year and it is certainly unusual when it appears right in front of the hide like that.
Other Wildlife
There have been plenty of other things visiting the hide, including Wood Mice, which often dash out to grab a peanut before disappearing back into the wall of the platform. On several nights we’ve had Roe Deer and Red Deer in the field below, sometimes in small herds. We’ve heard Barn Owls and, one night, a Tawny Owl flew in and perched on a branch above the Badgers before flying away again.
On the way back out to the car park we’ve also seen Leopard Slugs and Palmate Newts and, as the nights darken, star constellations such as Ursa Major are becoming visible.
If you would like a chance to see our nocturnal visitors, go to: http://bit.ly/sw_EWW to book your place.
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