May 2026

piersclark
May 28
3 min read

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_8482504a8c1643809ec99e17e8f94fd5/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Last month, I shared videos of the two young badgers having their first forays out of their sett. One month on and they are getting bolder, but are still very cute. And from the incessant scratching, I suspect they are also infested with fleas!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_5d96a82d8f6942fc839ab00496635e6a/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

We have two badger setts on site, and at the second site, we captured this rather lovely video of two badgers grooming each other.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_6d7e9c37554f4f8dbd5ea793768e8268/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

We also caught this video of someone trespassing on site, with a chainsaw, and I don’t think they have the badgers' well-being at heart. They appear oblivious to the fact that they have been caught on camera.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_1294b195c6914b928dfeec9e63e9ee49/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

This fox rather amusingly loses his balance and has a surprise dip in the pond (I think it’s the same fox who fell in the pond in an almost identical situation back in Sept 24)

The ducks have had a particularly active month, with 7 males sharing one female. The next 3 videos were all taken over a 12-minute period:

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_6ea4befc987245d39454b98f748051ca/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

These two males are getting a little feisty with each other. Hormones clearly coursing through their veins!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_f5996a324d6249edbfa351d24992913c/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

A few minutes later, three males roughly mate with the female, who is clearly struggling to keep her head above water

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_d98580bbc201493395d27f2d39c23cce/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

2 minutes later, the female is trying to regain her composure. You can’t blame her for falling off the log.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_5c3b1e768b1844e7a1ff67bb96439b64/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

A baby Tawney Owl is having a bath.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_6e6cd98c5d9a4365bcfe015a6260021f/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

And here is an adult Tawney Owl digging for grubs in a log. Watch to the end as he jumps up onto the log, and you see its spectacular plumage.

The sparrow hawks have been visiting the pond frequently (I think they are looking for an easy duckling meal). We have had both male and female sparrow hawks visit

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_0b9a0f130fc340e09c9e2c8e0952eeb2/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Here is a male sparrow hawk. Note, it is smaller than the female with a darker red colouring.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_52f2585eefb149628521794d0c99d3a0/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

And here is the female. Larger and with a browner, less vibrant plumage than the males.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_465496a62f4a43ef8d81460b4a840417/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

I put a camera deep inside a pile of logs and brambles to see what animals were present. This rather lovely weasel kindly positioned itself perfectly on the log. They normally move like lightning, but because this was deep inside the undergrowth, the weasel is, for once, a little more relaxed.

Grey Squirrels are performers. I put a camera up close to a tree that had a deep crack in the bark. My hope was that I might capture some bats using the crevice. Instead, I captured a performing squirrel!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_f2a5b275d727474bba6737c35a2dede0/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Initially, the squirrel seems to simply acknowledge the camera…

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_5e003d92729c44eaaf3f712b2755673b/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

It then positions itself inside the crevice and tumbles and turns, rolling around somewhat manically. I am assuming it had an itch, and this was a great place to scratch it!

I got up at 4 am on a Sunday a few weeks ago to be on site for the dawn chorus. 23 different species of birds were recorded.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67a1f2_0df5582899104e13abc6c6fb2d26c1f4/480p/mp4/file.mp4

This video was taken as I walked onto the site to a veritable wall of bird song!

At Aspect Nature Reserve, we welcome schools and community groups, hoping that by sharing what we are doing, others might be inspired. Age is no barrier to being inspired, and in May, I spoke at the ‘Senior Moments’ club. Senior Moments is a special club for Old Age Pensioners.