Monday, 26 April 2021

Evening visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 26th April 2021

Date: 26th April 2021

Time: from 8:45 p.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, dark, 6°C

At last!

On my fifth evening visit this year, I finally saw a Badger! …. although it was certainly not where I have been watching on my previous visits and it was in a totally unexpected location.

After leaving home, I walked past Laindon Park School with the intention of carrying on up Church Hill to St. Nicholas Church. I glanced across to the school playing field where there is sometimes a Red Fox or Reeves’ Muntjac. In the fading light, I saw a black/grey “lump” which my torch revealed to be a Badger. Unfortunately, the strong light of my torch surprised it and it scampered off across the playing field to the cover of the hedges and scrub bordering it.

Rather than carry on up Church Hill, I turned back to access the site via the track from Larkins Tyres in the hope that I might encounter the Badger along there or in the cemetery. Unfortunately I didn’t.

When I arrived at the Badger sett, I laid out some dog food, dog biscuits and peanuts outside one of the sett entrance/exit holes as I have done on previous visits but, after an hour of sitting, watching and waiting, I was again unsuccessful in seeing any Badgers emerge.

However, during that time I did see a Red Fox trot cross the church car park and I heard at least 2 “geckering” Red Foxes in the south west corner of the site. As I got up to leave, I also caught the eye-shine of a Red Fox in the western section of the cemetery and then another on Laindon Park School playing field after walking back down Church Hill.

During this visit, I saw 2 Reeves’ Muntjacs, the first at the end of the track from Larkins Tyres and the second in the central section of the cemetery.

With regard to birds, a short evening chorus prior to full darkness falling comprised the usual expected species: Robin, Blackbird and Song Thrush.

The other notable thing from this evening visit was an extremely bright and large full Moon.
















Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):

Badger
Red Fox
Reeves’ Muntjac

Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush

Site totals to date (2021 totals in brackets):

Birds = 52  (38)
Mammals = 6  (5)
Butterflies = 21  (4)
Dragonflies and damselflies = 7  (0)
Reptiles = 1  (0)
Amphibians = 0  (0)

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature


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