Evening Wildlife Watching Hide Update October 2025
- Harris Brooker
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
Introduction
October has been a busy month for visitors and wildlife alike. We’ve had Badgers almost every night and we’ve had Pine Martens and the Scottish Wildcat on several nights too. Tawny Owls are being heard hooting to establish their territories for next year’s breeding, Red Deer can be heard roaring in the surrounding countryside, Leopard Slugs were still feeding on the ground despite the cold and there have been clear starry nights with several constellations visible, such as Delphinus the Dolphin.
Badgers
We have been having Badgers almost every night. One night, a big male came in and started feeding. I pointed out its broader head to the guests and explained that that was a feature of the males. A second male came into feed, and we watched them feed peacefully together. One left and the other, which heard barking dogs in the distance, jolted its head upright with anxiety and ran off. Two females came in to feed afterwards. Although there are around seven individuals in this family, we’ve only been seeing about four in our evenings so far. The others might just be feeling the cold and are less inclined to come out. The guests were happy regardless.
Pine Martens
We now have two Pine Martens that are visiting us regularly. One of them is a male and the other I believe is a female kit that was born this year. One night we had the male Pine Marten come up from below the twin Lawson’s Cypresses and run along the log bridge. It fed in front of several delighted guests before dropping down to the ground to feed and dashing away. Later on in the night, the female kit appeared, initially from the right hand edge of the viewing area before coming up onto the log bridge and onto the platform. As it fed, I pointed out its bib markings, which were a brown semi collar and a single brown spot. I explained that the bib markings are inherited and the semi collar came from its mother and the spot from its grandmother, which almost this time last year was found dead on the road by a visiting tour group. However her DNA now lives on through the male (her son) and this female kit (his daughter), thus continuing the circle of life. The guests were delighted and left the hide delighted.
Scottish Wildcat
The Scottish Wildcat is still visiting, even when it’s dark and even coming into the front platform at such times. I tell guests that the Wildcat tends to avoid that area after dark and that most sightings happen on the other side of the hide. This is because it doesn’t like meeting the Badgers, which could do it harm if it wasn’t careful. One night we were watching a Pine Marten feeding on its raised platform when the Wildcat appeared from under the window ledge and squinted up at the Pine Marten. This caused the Pine Marten to flee into the treetops, as the Wildcat could reach it on its platform if it wanted.
On another night it appeared from under the window ledge and walked through the viewing area and into the garden, leading to some amazed reactions from the guests. Everyone left happy that night.
Other Wildlife
Tawny Owls are being heard hooting, mainly females that are looking to establish their territories for next year’s breeding. Red Deer can be heard roaring in the surrounding countryside, which could potentially be mistaken for mooing cows. Leopard Slugs were seen feeding on the ground as we’ve been leaving the hide after the end of the evenings. On clear starry nights we’ve been treated to the sight of various constellations, such as Delphinus the Dolphin, one of my favourite ones as well as Hercules, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor and Draco.
If you would like to visit our Evening Wildlife Watching Hide go to: http://bit.ly/sw_EWW
Comments