January 2026

It’s a bit blurred, but here is my favourite photo from this month. It’s a weasel, who rather gloriously seems to be gazing directly into the camera. 

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_36613313b37a405db9ccf161c7943e06/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

The above photo was captured from this video clip, where you see a super-fast streak of brown fur thunder past the camera, not once, not twice, but three times. Back and forth. I just wish I had that sort of energy!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_e59c796fd4824adc9afc3a5dc11317bd/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

I suspect the aforementioned weasel was actually hunting, and that this brown rabbit was its desired prey. Don’t be fooled by the size difference. Weasels can catch rabbits despite them being 10x larger. 

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_6e467381b9d14fc484719bf8f465ae2d/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

We have captured over 500 videos from our badger sett this month. No baby pups yet but here is a lovely video of two adults grooming each other. I want a friend who would love me this much.  

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_d35d8cf3b81547308db9c5087e603dc6/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Here are the same two badgers, but this time they appear to be scenting each other. Just for clarity, this is not the sort of friend I want. 

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_2ee85d5d38c74c6b942f208f545588c7/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Following the torrential rain at the end of January, the badger sett was flooded. Here is a rare video of a badger during the daytime, looking rather wet and forlorn. 

The ownership drama in the owl box, which started in November 2025, continues. If anything, it has just got more complicated with even more animals taking an interest. 

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_4c4da278c5024838910dcb0f862ceae2/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

The Owls continue to claim the box as their own. Turn the sound up and you can hear it trilling

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_d111ee27ff0044049f001e760296ecbb/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

This video was taken 24 hours later. The squirrels were inside the box while the Owl sat trilling at the entrance. Got to give them credit, they are not going to be bullied out of this home!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_c50e71a4a71e45ac9b6a7473862a719e/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

 This was a surprise. A black cat climbed the 5m up the neighbouring tree to see what all the fuss was about. 

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_63d842dc170940dcb5ef670130a0edcc/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Other birds have also started visiting the box, including wrens. Woodpigeons and this rather lovely green woodpecker.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_611fabe921dc4549912c745b2ecabeb7/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Here, a Great Tit is investigating the box, only to get so excited it then flies directly into the camera. Spot the feather that it leaves behind, almost like a cartoon crash. 

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_b32e172659934cdbb5556513a4085e42/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

We dug a new pond last August, and it has gradually filled with water (more so following the recent deluges). We have our first residents: a pair of Egyptian Geese

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_f8c59aec471b4d7991c5320b71b2747f/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Here is a big male rat chasing a much smaller female. He is trying to mate with her, and she is not having any of it. He is persistent and appears to have some success. Then there is a swift kick in the groin from the reluctant female which means this video closes with the male gently nursing his bruised genitals (and also his ego, no doubt).  

Stuck in a rut? The solution is Teamwork!

Following some particularly hideous January weather, parts of Aspect Nature Reserve have become impassable, with wet, thick clay that oozes around your wellies like molasses. The challenge was acutely highlighted to me when I tried to drive a guest across the site and found my car stuck, axle-deep in the mud (and sheep manure, but we will ignore that part). I persuaded a contractor who was working on site to help me, but despite our best efforts (using ropes, the quad bike, pushing and praying) we were unable to release the car. We only managed to break free when a team of enthusiastic pupils and staff from The Gatwick School, who had been on site with The Outdoor Project, came to our aid. They quickly mobilized to form a powerful, can-do team that finally eased the car free. The cheers that erupted as we finally got traction were glorious. 

As we drove awa,y I overheard Cara, from The Outdoor Project (https://www.theoutdoorsproject.co.uk/west-sussex/, https://www.facebook.com/TheOutdoorsProjectWestSussex), say to the pupils ‘They were stuck for an hour and we got them free in 5 minutes. Well done team TGS!’

Here are some lovely winter morning shots of the reserve. I treasure those cold crisp mornings when the sun is low in the sky,

and it’s just me, the morning birds… and a 747 from Gatwick airport every 3 minutes.

We finish this month with a statement about sheep. 

We have about 100 heavily pregnant sheep on site and, after having spent many hours herding them out of places where they should not be (despite having a massive field to roam, they are obsessed with escaping), I have come to the conclusion that they are both the stupidest animals in England and yet also the most cunning. 

It got to a stage last week where I swear they were ganging up on me. I foolishly left the gate open to the office area for literally 3 minutes while I collected something and they formed a sort of protest ‘sit in’. 

Luke-the-Shepherd tells me they liked it because it had dry, firm ground. 

But if that’s the case, why did they all choose to empty their bowels on my nice clean hardstanding!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_78952c24f92d459ea71bd3b15ce0b514/720p/mp4/file.mp4

At least they were quite easy, and fun, to encourage back to the field.  

In 8 weeks' time, they will start lambing, and I now face this with a certain degree of trepidation. They may yet turn on me…

See you next month!

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