Badgers ?

[Scots_Charles_River]

Hi,

Was out and about tonite, trying to get photos of the sunset over the Central Highlands, from Cokleroy, nr Linlithgow. Unfortuantely Haar came in and my cheap camera couldn't cope.

So took a friend around the woods, tracking. We came across a lot of dug up ground which had small black droppings, the size of a small dogs, with seeds in. There was plenty of newly dug soil at the entrance to large burrow holes, maybe 3/4 of a ft diameter.

Was it a badger set ?

Nick

PS spotted a cool wee weasel whilst climbing at Traprain Law on sunday.

[led]

Sounds like it was. The holes and scat is a badger latrine, generally marking the extent of their territory.

[Scots_Charles_River]

Thanks.

Nick

[Risclean]

At the weekend I was at a volunteer training session with Scottish Badgers . Badger sett entrances are a shaped like a D on it back(because badgers are low and wide). The strength of badgers means spoil heaps are larger than those made by foxes and contain larger material like stones. There's more information on the site.

[Scots_Charles_River]

Thanks for the info, looked at it. Must take some kids there with the ranger soon.

Nick

[Scots_Charles_River]

Found another sett nearer home.Looks like someone has dug it out, or tried to. Maybe a jack russell on the loose or soemthing as it's only a few hundred yards from a housing estate.

Nick