Cyn's Nature Notes: A Noise in the Night

Thursday 1 October 2009

A Noise in the Night

The beech woods I wrote about last month are the setting for this piece, also the tale I am about to recount is absolutely true.

In the middle of a dark and moonless night my grandson was roused from sleep by the frightened and frightening cries of a creature, he was tired after a long day and had work to go to in a few hours so he tucked down and tried to ignore the sound. After several unsuccessful attempts he decided to investigate, leaving his bed he pulled on jeans and tee shirt picked up his mobile and set off. The calls were already becoming more urgent, and the woods were very dark and not the friendly place he usually frequented. He followed the direction of the sound and could hear the fear in it, he found this very unsettling and at one point was fearful as to what he was going to find. The unfamiliarity of going through the woods at night coupled with the distressed and distressing calls had quite unnerved him especially as he had no self protection should he need it, briefly he faltered but the calls were so near now he went on. He even wondered if it was a young child and knew then he couldn't stop. It was not only dark he was cold and the tree roots tripped him often, eventually he climbed up from a steep drop and as he reached the brow he heard a different sound, switching on his mobile phone he had enough light to see facing him and close enough to touch at his eye level a fully grown badger instinctively he stood tall, held his arms out and shouted. The badger stepped back a few paces and then stood its ground off to one side he could still hear the desperate cries of a creature in trouble, carefully he sidestepped away from the adult badger and made his way to the sound, it was coming from a lidless culvert. Using the light on his phone he looked down and found a young badger cub up to its neck in mud and at a good arms stretch, he was very slimy and smelly and almost impossible to grasp. After several attempts Ric managed to hold him by the neck and draw him upward, where he could use the other hand to support the youngster. When finally out, the cub rubbed himself on the ground, then made his way to his mother who had been waiting close by, obviously pleased to see her cub she nuzzled him before setting off through the woods with him.

Ric said he felt very privileged to have rescued the little chap he also said he was astonished at how heavy the cub was, how solid he felt and how coarse was his fur, he was also surprised at how the adult had waited so patiently while her cub was rescued displaying no fear or aggression. Did the adult realise she needed help which Ric could give her? Is this why she waited and watched so patiently?
Ric went back the next day and covered the hole to avoid any future mishaps.

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About this Blog

When we moved to our present home in December 1987, I was very ill and bedridden. My garden was a life-saver, although it was very different then. The first thing I did was to put up bird-feeders, and long hours were spent lying indoors in a recliner. This was when I discovered many things. Do you know the underside of every blue tit’s tail is differently marked? Gradually, over the years, the garden changed. We put in shrubs and plants that would not only enhance the garden, but would also be good for wildlife. The first rabbit we saw was so joyful for us. The deer eat the flowers, prune the apple trees, eat the marrow, and are wonderful to watch. Foxes have been a major part of our wildlife. We have fed them each night for more than 20 years. They are such a delight, especially in late summer and early autumn when there are youngsters. They behave like puppies and are great fun to watch.

I love all wildlife: the mason bees that nest in the brickwork of the bungalow, the hornets that last year made their home in the roof above our bedroom, the bees currently nesting in the roof above the bathroom. On a hot evening, if you stand quietly in the bathroom, you can hear this amazing sound: it is very rhythmic and reminds me of the waves at the seaside. It is made by the beating of the bees’ wings as they fan their nest to keep the temperature at the right level -- how many people have heard that sound? I feel so privileged.

Obviously, I feed the birds. When I open the window in the morning I call “Come on Bobby and Blackie”, and one followed swiftly by the other they fly immediately to the bird table. Each morning, on rising, I make my way to the kitchen and find the squirrels already sitting on the window ledge waiting to be fed. Winter brings the moorhens and spring time the mallards. Our pond is a poor effort from a human point of view, but wild creatures see it differently. On summer days, the grass snakes spend long hours in the pond: eating the fish, froglets, toadlings, newts, and any other living creature they can swallow. Although I hate to see the pond emptied this way, I do enjoy the snakes and feel they are an important part of the balance of nature in the garden. Watching a dragonfly nymph climbing out of the pond, up a plant stalk, and then over the next few hours gradually transforming into a beautiful dragonfly -- these are contented hours well spent.

It has been my pleasure to write and publish a nature column each month. I am always delighted to hear how much pleasure this brings to my readers. I have often been asked if I have written a book, so I am making more of my writings and photography available through this web site and blog.