28 November 2013

The badgers were out for 5 hours last night, from 21:26 to 2:27, on a mild dry night. One dish was placed near the sett, to be sure they didn't go hungry, and the other in the wood to reward exploration. At least that was the plan. This time it seems they didn't bother going into the rest of the wood. Or if they did they stayed away from the dish and the camera there.

Once again it seemed that only one badger was hungry, but this time the other hadn't already eaten from the other dish. They have not eaten simultaneously from the same dish very often. One has occasionally lain on the ground and waited -- for a chase, or to mooch around the woods.

In the week since they graduated from the "badgergarten" they haven't played so much and as winter approaches they've been sleeping more. There was little bit of rough and tumble outside the sett with one (Benji?) biting and holding on to the neck of and subsequently scent marking the other. Neck biting is common during mating. Scent marking is for recognition. Badgers who live together scent mark each other.