Going underground: Get a unique view of a badger's world
Post categories: Autumnwatch
| 15:29 UK time, Tuesday, 11 October 2011
From Friday 14 October we'll be beaming pictures like these live from Devon
Join us on our live webcast or (for the very first time) via the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Red Button for a unique view into the lives of one of Britain's most loved creatures. Autumnwatch Live has three miniature cameras buried deep inside the sett of a wild badger family in the Devon countryside.
You will see live footage of badgers, the like of which has been rarely seen before. Above ground they're incredibly nervous, but inside their subterranean home these mammals are completely at ease. It might be pitch black down there but our infra-red cameras will be able to witness every aspect of the their underground life.
Martin HG pointing to the woods where the badgers live
It's not just the sights down there, there are sounds too. You'll hear an intriguing array of grunts, growls, groans, whimpers, whines and more as the badgers navigate their way through the darkness. If you thought your partner was a loud snorer, wait until you hear a badger in full flow...
Autumn is a critical time of year for a badger family. It's the last chance to mate before those long cold winter nights set in. They'll also need to begin to establish order and create strong bonds. Play fights will break out, often to be followed by grooming, nuzzling, nestling and a whole load of scratching (badgers love a good scratch).
Specialist cameraman Jo rigging infra-red lighting
It's a time when they need to be piling on the pounds, in some cases almost doubling their weight in order to survive the harsh winter. And that's where our outside, over-ground cameras come in.
With these we'll be able to follow the seven wild badgers on their nightly quest for food. Badger expert Andrew Cooper has been giving the badgers a helping hand in their winter weight gains for 17 years. The competition for food is intense, there will be biting, barging. Full blown fighting will regularly break out, and we'll be there to film it all.
To add extra insight we'll have interviews with and commentary by both Andrew Cooper and naturalist , as well as drafting in special guests to share their extensive knowledge, not just about the badgers but about other local wildlife too.
Press Red or join us on the webcams at 5pm on Friday 14 October. We'll be live until 11pm each night until 23 October. As always we'll be on , and the messageboard so please do join in the conversation there.
Comment number 1.
At 11th Oct 2011, Colneybird wrote:Exciting prospect - one question though - will the webcam be available via the website as well as the red button, please?
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Comment number 2.
At 11th Oct 2011, jeztorrance wrote:@Colneybird, Yes, of course - we wouldn't forget our roots! They are 'web' cams after all ;)
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Comment number 3.
At 11th Oct 2011, Wildlife Filmer Adam wrote:Brilliant! :-D I know Andrew Cooper & those Badgers! I spent a few days at where he lives & filmed the soon to be 'Autumnwatch Badger Stars' --
:-)
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Comment number 4.
At 12th Oct 2011, Colneybird wrote:Superb footage Adam - sadly I usually only see badgers when they become road kill unless I book a mammal hide. It will be a real treat to see them live via red button or webcam.
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Comment number 5.
At 14th Oct 2011, mrmusedu wrote:Looking forward to this insight into the life of the badger.
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Comment number 6.
At 14th Oct 2011, Jenny wrote:Are you showing badgers due to the current Badger cull that farmers etc are asking for....to get the general public on the side of the Badger. I too love the Badger and have great respect for it, however bovine TB is a real problem!!
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Comment number 7.
At 14th Oct 2011, Shane wrote:Could someone give me some idea of an aperture setting to use when photgraphing badgers . We have them here but When using a setting of f2.8 I get very limited depth of field and lose out on a lot of detail .
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Comment number 8.
At 14th Oct 2011, Sean Roberts and daughter lucy wrote:when will they be up on the website? and also will I be able to watch them? I live in the Republic of Ireland...
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Comment number 9.
At 14th Oct 2011, Loopyloo333 wrote:We have 4 badgers coming into our garden everynight. If I feed them they are fine.. if I do not they turn my lawn up dreadful. Some nights I cannot be there to feed them, why do they turn my lawn over? p.s. great pictures with webcam as wondered how they got around as we have loads nr us in the nature reserve.
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Comment number 10.
At 14th Oct 2011, emma beveridge wrote:I have badgers too, they are digging for leatherbacks ( beatles) or going to the loo, they dig latrine pits!! I am often woken by up by their trilling and squeaking!!
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Comment number 11.
At 15th Oct 2011, Niamh wrote:We have a night vision camera that i use when i sleep round my nans. We put out dogfood, peanuts, and sometimes peanut butter sandwiches! In return we see foxes, badgers and mice.
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Comment number 12.
At 16th Oct 2011, selbybadgerwatch wrote:I use two stealth cameras to monitor my badger setts. Recently I fixed one of the cameras to an overhanging branch with a Joby Gorillapod, so it was looking down on the badgers. It filmed a badger constantly falling asleep, yawning, laid on his back scratching his tummy, whilst the other camera caught badger digging a latrine and answering a call of nature. Learning about badger behaviour is fantastic and I'm so looking forward to following autumnwatch. www.selbybadgerwatch.com
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Comment number 13.
At 16th Oct 2011, selbybadgerwatch wrote:Here's my own attempt at filming badger behaviour. This badger had just emerged from his sett at about 8pm (October) and then began to fall asleep above ground.
Selby Badger Watch
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Comment number 14.
At 16th Oct 2011, Phil wrote:I love Badgers, and with the constant threat of a Cull, I wish you would not tell people where they are located, as the farmers are intent on killing them with or without a cull. Save the badgers, cull the farmers ;)
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Comment number 15.
At 16th Oct 2011, Becky Boo wrote:Brilliant footage of these beautiful creatures! Listening to them snoring is making me sleepy!...who needs sleeping tablets when you can just sit here and listen to the badgers x
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Comment number 16.
At 17th Oct 2011, Poppy wrote:Is there any activity anywhere else in the sett?
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Comment number 17.
At 18th Oct 2011, LynnJ wrote:This is so cool!! How do we post question when it is "Live" So interesting!
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Comment number 18.
At 20th Oct 2011, jeztorrance wrote:@LynnJ, if you go to the webcam page and scroll down to where it says 'Join in the conversation' there's full details there.
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Comment number 19.
At 22nd Oct 2011, jeandanher wrote:Watching badgers in a friend's garden years ago we were serenaded nughtly by the sound of the badgers crunching garden snails....Is this unusual food for them? Also neither they nor the local foxes liked tomatoes. Jean
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Comment number 20.
At 29th Oct 2011, capriannie wrote:i can't get the badger webcam on my comp - any idea why not?
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