Badger bank and some fab trees

I took a walk up to badger bank this morning to have a better look at the sett. They have the most amazing home. They're tucked out of the way, away from the most regularly used paths, with a small path heading off uphill to the right and a small track heading off to the left. Their sett is built into the bank on the right and they have a mossy/grassy area below the back.

The start of the sett - it stretches all the way along the bank

Looking down from the path at the top of the bank - you can see the mounds
of chalk that have been dug out of the sett.

 

There are lots of well used trails throughout the bank

I counted 41 entrance holes and I'm sure there are more that I missed. I even found 3 entrances in the middle of the path at the top of the bank.

2 entrance holes with tunnels leading off in different directions

Entrance holes in the path at the top of the bank

There were lots of signs of activity, including well used trails, holes dug in the ground, rotten tree trunks that were scratched and pulled apart and latrines.

Well used trails through the sett and off into the
surrounding woods

Holes dug everywhere - presumably they were looking for food

Lots of logs were scratched and pulled apart where the badgers were looking
for insects

Fresh poo!

Then I climbed up to the top of the hill and walked around to Whiteleaf Hill.

The mud was all gone and the moss seems to have had it's moment - it's all still there, but was all looking a bit dried up!

Two large deer shot across the path ahead of me (but I wasn't quick enough with the camera) and the great tits seemed to follow me through the woods, peeping at me.

Great tit

I noticed a tree that had the bark peeling away from the trunk. It looked like it had been unzipped and I thought the colours and textures were really beautiful.

I walked a bit further and spotted a rotten tree stump, that seemed to have something turquoise growing on it. I looked closer and realized it was home to moss, stinging nettles, black fungus, lichen, turquoise stuff and some green slime. There were also loads of little holes dug into the rotten wood, presumably by mice. That one rotten tree stump was home to so many things!

Green slime

Lichen

Small mouse sized holes dug in the rotten wood