Evening Wildlife Watching Hide Update June 2025
- Harris Brooker
- 15 minutes ago
- 3 min read
As summer approaches, the nights get lighter and it doesn’t get darker until much later. The animals are still coming to the hide, including Badgers, Pine Martens, the Scottish Wildcat, Roe Deer, Red Deer and Wood Mice with birds such as Robins, Chaffinches, Blackbirds coming in while it’s still light. Hopefully as the summer progresses, we’ll get more of the same.
Badgers
The Badgers are still coming to the hide, usually late in the night when it is getting properly dark. One night began like many of the others, no Badgers showed for hours, then at 22:29, by chance I decided to put on the microphone in the hope that the wind had dropped. The reason the microphone can stay off is because if it’s windy, it makes a ripping sound that isn’t pleasant to listen to. Then, when I did, the munching sound of the Badger came through on the speaker. That’s often how a Badger is first detected. It fed for a few minutes, then moved off without much warning. 10 minutes later another Badger came into feed, this one also a male. Its coat was looking sandy coloured, which is a sign that it was transitioning from its winter to its summer coat. Later this one left and at 23:25 three Badgers came in, who were all females. They fed together and then two of them reacted as if startled and ran away together leaving the last one on its own. The last one didn’t leave until half past midnight. We had five in total that night.
Pine Martens
We are still having Pine Marten sightings, although at this time of year, sightings can be unpredictable. The female has been largely absent, presumably because she is looking after kits and the male, who is the least regular of the two anyway, has a big territory to patrol and more food available. However, one night we were surprised to see the female Pine Marten come in. Prior to this night I’d seen her on the camera trap, but this night was the first time I’d seen her personally in weeks. She fed on the platform, then went away below using the twin Lawson’s Cypresses. Then, later in the evening and to our surprise, the male Pine Marten showed up. He came in from the ground and fed on the platform, showing his triple spot pattern on his bib. Then he later left on the ground. A fantastic evening, considering its appearance was by no means a certainty.
Scottish Wildcat
We’ve had some incredible sightings of the Scottish Wildcat this month. One night there was no sign of the Wildcat at all, sometimes it’s seen as we go over to the hide and sometimes I see it earlier in the day. However, on this night neither of those things had happened but, just after I’d finished putting the food out to attract the Badgers and Pine Martens, I managed to see it sat further down the steps behind a bush that is visible at the back of the hide. I hurried to get everyone into position and some managed to see it, but for others, the angle combined with the bush prevented them from seeing it. However, I knew from experience that it would have to move eventually, whether up the steps, or down them, it would do so - and I sincerely hoped it would be the former, thankfully, it was the former. The Wildcat came up the steps and passed by the back of the hide and walked through the courtyard and further into the garden.
Other Wildlife
We have been lucky to see both Red and Roe Deer from the hide in the field below. Wood Mice still dash from their crevices to grab peanuts and hurry back. Robins, Chaffinches and Blackbirds come into eat the peanuts and the peanut butter. We’ve also had Great Spotted Woodpeckers doing the same which is something I don’t recall them doing before. Woodpigeons sometimes fly in to gorge on the peanuts. Sometimes visitors worry that they’re going to eat everything before the Badgers show up and I reassure them that they never do, and so far that’s been correct.
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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