A Couple of Badgers

By Words | Published September 2, 2012

After yesterday's foxes, tonight it's the return of the badgers. The main shots are of the elderly badger who I've nicknamed 'Lumpy'. It's carrying numerous scars around the neck area, and has some sort of growth on its rear left leg. This doesn't seem to impede its movement. You can make it out in this first photo.

Lumpy also appears to be blind in one eye, as can be seen by the lack of eyeshine (tapetum reflection) in its left eye (right side of the photo).

For all that, Lumpy is a fine looking badger. It's just a matter of finding the right angle. I think this shot manages it.

I've yet to figure out the social hierarchy at play among the badgers, and while I would assume that Lumpy is perfectly capable of being a dominant character, she (or he?) made a fairly rapid exit when a much younger badger appeared from the rear of the garden.

Mind you, the foxes also beat a hasty retreat in similar circumstances… this from last night.

Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF70-300mm 4.5-5.6 DO IS lens. Video via the Bushnell Trophy Cam.

This entry was posted in Badger, Foxes, Wildlife and tagged , .

15 Comments

  1. derWandersmann September 3, 2012 at 12:09 am #

    Nice little vid, Words … and the badgers are great.

  2. Words September 3, 2012 at 12:09 am #

    dW, thanks. The badgers are the stars this year. In previous years I've only managed glimpses and the occasional rushed photo.

  3. Words September 3, 2012 at 12:09 am #

    Chthonid, I leave handfuls of peanuts out in the garden for them. Badgers and foxes both take their pick, but it's largely a matter of who gets there first.

  4. chthoniid September 3, 2012 at 12:09 am #

    Looks like a perfect night. Did you put out that food for the badgers?

  5. SittingFox September 3, 2012 at 2:09 pm #

    I guess his old wounds are from fights with other badgers. They really do seem to spar at times.

  6. derWandersmann September 3, 2012 at 5:09 pm #

    I'd say, from looking at the photograph, that the blindness is probably not from a fight … the damage would show, I think … this looks like a cataract.

  7. Words September 5, 2012 at 12:09 am #

    Adele, I think I must have some old shots of the same badger, judging by those scars. I'll have to see if I can find them. It was a nasty neck/shoulder wound if I remember correctly.

  8. Words September 5, 2012 at 12:09 am #

    dW, a cataract sounds about right. If I can find some previous photos it will make an interesting comparison. This is a real battle-weary badger judging by the state of it, but it seems to get by ok.

  9. gdare September 5, 2012 at 4:09 am #

    A couple of foxes, a couple of badgers… What will be next, couple of magpies? :yikes:

  10. SittingFox September 5, 2012 at 1:09 pm #

    Or a couple of Essex lions? :whistle:

  11. derWandersmann September 5, 2012 at 4:09 pm #

    Scottish wildcats.

  12. chthoniid September 5, 2012 at 10:09 pm #

    Originally posted by SittingFox:

    Or a couple of Essex lions? :whistle:

    LOL! Have they got to the bottom of that story yet?

  13. SittingFox September 6, 2012 at 9:09 am #

    A blurry photograph of a small member of the Felidae was released 😉

    If a real lion ever does roam Essex, it'll probably be mistaken for a dinosaur at this rate.

  14. Words September 10, 2012 at 11:09 pm #

    Darko, well there are a couple fo magpies in one of tonight's photos. 😉

  15. Words September 10, 2012 at 11:09 pm #

    No lions yet!