Week 11
I know that blackbirds[i] are messy creatures and never tidy up after themselves. However, right now my land is looking more than untidy as not only are the blackbirds busy stealing sphagnum moss for their nests, but there are also badgers. Mr Brock, the badger[ii], puts an entirely different meaning to the word “mess”.
First, badgers arrive in teams. It is rare to have a single badger. There are always at least two, often many more. They gnaw, or even climb[iii], their way through or over any metal fencing you might have erected around a property - I have not electrified mine - and then they set to work on the grass. If you are lucky, a badger will dig a single hole, as it hunts for earthworms. The holes are called snuffle holes and are either round or elliptical. It is where a badger places its snout as it sucks up earthworms from below. Or, as happened to me a few days ago, badgers will remove turf, often in tidy strips, although they never put the strips back, so they can reach the insects that live in the roots of the turf. Badgers love bulbs as well, so if you are a bulb planter, you may be burying badger-grub and will end up with no flowers at all.
Badgers will wander long distances at night. A badger sett, the multiple holes in the ground where they live, can be inhabited by up to 13 badgers at any one time, while the territory they cover can be as large as 140 hectares. I have found no evidence of a sett on my own land, but plenty of evidence that badgers visit at night. I force myself to be pleased that the badgers feel my land is worth visiting and that I am encouraging insects and earthworms to make their homes on my patch, but there is no doubt badgers know how to dig up land. They scratch, too. A badger spends much of its life scratching - either itself, a fellow badger, the ground, or even a tree. Badger claws are extremely sharp and are best avoided.
The problem is that you cannot harm a badger. I know plenty of folk in Lakeland who feel that the badger limit has been reached because now, so much of what we see is damage created by badger claws and teeth. Both are incredibly sharp. Also, if I claim to be a true renaturer, I should not allow the thought of controlling badgers to enter my mind at all. The animals are protected by law[iv] and it is an offence to take, injure or kill them. Interfering with their setts is also illegal. However, it is possible to deter badgers, so they dig up someone else’s land rather than one’s own. All is fair in love, war[v], and badger control. No chemicals are permitted but spraying the boundaries of territory with human male urine is permitted. Yes, I have tried it.
Badgers are very territorial, so if they sense land has been marked by another animal, they may avoid it and move elsewhere. Sadly, the effect only lasts a week, so it does mean plenty of peeing. Finely chopped Scotch bonnet chilli peppers can also work, as can citronella oils, infrared trigger lights, or even a battery-powered electrified fence[vi].
I am becoming increasingly excited by an idea put to me a few weeks ago, that is to undertake an entomological survey. This is because I have no idea if I am doing the right thing by renaturing my land. I think it is right, although am being regularly challenged by Stripy Lawners to justify what I am doing. For some reason I have to explain my actions, but they do not have to clarify theirs. In the final analysis, renaturing or rewilding are about bugs. Insects are of great ecological and economic importance in nature and can act as pollinators, provide food for other species, disperse seeds, and break down or recycle organic matter. Global insect populations are declining fast, with intensive agriculture being the main culprit, together with urbanisation and climate change[vii]. I have thus taken the plunge and will be paying a fortune for a specialist[viii] to visit my land at least four times this year and to write a report of what he finds. I have no clue what I will do if it appears my efforts are being wasted but by the end of this year I should know. The survey will reveal plenty.
Meanwhile my land is going crazy with shoots appearing in many different spots, although I only have a limited idea what any of them may be. The snowdrops[ix] are almost gone now, either because they are time expired, or the pigeons[x] and doves[xi] have over feasted on them. A few crocuses[xii] have appeared, which is more than I can say for last year, the daffodils are slowly turning yellow, some small ones have already done so, and there is a hellebore[xiii] that is still standing when by rights it should be dead. But the land is giving every indication that, any moment, it will spring into life.
These new growths have not been helped by some recent snowfall. Snow is not all bad, and can be protective, but its weight can crush new growth[xiv]. I do not plant vegetables, and have no intention of doing so, but for those who have vegetable gardens, a thin layer of late snow can be all it takes to mean replanting is needed. The snow we have recently seen in Lakeland has lasted barely a few hours before melting, so I must hope no harm has been done.
There have been a few areas of my land that I have protected with netting, specifically to stop the birds from eating any seed. Some hope. As best I can tell, pigeons and pheasants[xv] see the netting like a trampoline and scamper across it as if it was not there. They peck through the netting to obtain what they wish and seem entirely untroubled by the experience. Indeed they seem to be enjoying themselves. My trail camera picked up a fox[xvi] the other night that was also standing on the netting to see what grub it could find. To record a fox was truly magnificent - you can see the video on this page - but the presence of both fox and badger means no hedgehogs.
There was a time when hedgehogs were in plentiful supply on my land but since I have started renaturing, so the composition of wildlife I am seeing has changed. Hedgehogs, poor mites, are in a terrible state thanks to climate change, with a most dramatic decline in their numbers[xvii]. Should they become extinct, we should hang our heads in shame.
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Acknowledgement
Take it from me - none of this would be possible without the help of RSG Horticulture. Rufus, who runs it, has far more energy than me and is full of ideas and skills.
References [i] Turdus merula. Has an orange-yellow bill. The mature male is black, and the mature female is dark brown. Juveniles are reddish-brown. Albinism and leucism are common. Smooth, glossy eggs that are light blue with reddish-brown spots. Young are fed by both parents. Mostly resident throughout the year, although a few will overwinter in southern Europe. In our winter, many blackbirds migrate from Scandinavia and Northern Europe, often recognisable by their duller bills. See entry of 12 February 2023 [ii] Meles meles (European badger). Sometimes called “brock”, a Celtic loanword meaning “grey”. Male is a boar, female a sow, collective noun is a cete or clan. Diet is mainly earthworms, insects, grubs, and the eggs of ground-nesting birds. Can also eat small animals. In UK, badgers are the main predator of the hedgehog. Fight fiercely when cornered. Can be eaten. Badgers can carry bovine tuberculosis (bTB) although the primary route of contact for this disease is cow-to-cow. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badger. [iii] http://www.badgerland.co.uk/help/problems/gardeners.html. Accessed 11 March 2023 [iv] Protection of Badgers Act 1992. See https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/51/contents. Accessed 11 March 2023 [v] https://classroom.synonym.com/origin-all-fair-love-war-9976.html. Accessed 25 April 2023 [vi] https://blog.fantasticservices.com/how-to-stop-badgers-digging-up-lawn-of-your-dreams-control-and-deterrents/. Accessed 11 March 2023 [vii] https://rewildingeurope.com/news/invertebrate-rewilding-initiative-joins-the-european-rewilding-network/. Accessed 11 March 2023 [viii] https://www.peterbrashecology.co.uk. Accessed 1 March 2023 [ix] Galanthus nivalis with approximately 20 other species. Native to Europe and the Middle East and normally flower before the vernal equinox (20/21 March in northern hemisphere). There are some snowdrop gardens in the UK. Said to contain a mysterious and magical herb called “moly” that features in Homer’s Odyssey. Moly is likely galantamine, which could have acted as an antidote to Circe’s poisons. It may also be helpful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The snowdrop also contains lectin, which is being studied for possible use in the management of HIV. Also see 22 January, 5 February, 5 March 2023. [x] Columba palumbus. The UK’s commonest and largest pigeon, it is mainly grey but shows a white neck patch and white wing patches in flight. It has an impressive nuptial display when it cracks its wings and then glides downwards on stiff wings. Nests vulnerable to attack by crows. Typical lifespan is three years. Often mates for life. https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/woodpigeon/. Also see 12 and 19 February, 5 March 2023 [xi] Streptopelia decaocto. Native to Europe and Asia, but introduced to Japan, North America and islands in the Caribbean. Etymology – name is from Ancient Greek with “streptos” meaning “collar”. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_collared_dove. See also 5 March 2023 [xii] Crocus sativus but there are at least 100 different species. Source of saffron, one of the most expensive spices in the world. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocus. Medicinally is antihypertensive, anticonvulsant, antitussive, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory and is even an aphrodisiac. See https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249922/. Accessed 11 March 2023 [xiii][xiii] Belongs to buttercup family not a rose, regardless of what it may be called, e.g. Christmas rose. See https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/hellebore and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellebore. Roughly 20 different species of the genus Helleborus. All are toxic and are usually left alone by animals for this reason. Were used as biological warfare during the First Sacred War (595-585 BCE). Has been used medicinally to treat paralysis, gout and even insanity Can also be used for chronic skin afflictions worms, and as a purgative, diuretic, reduce fever, lose weight and improve menstrual health (see https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/hellebore.html). Accessed 11 March 2023 [xiv] https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/garden/1546871/winter-gardening-tips-hacks-protect-garden-unexpected-snow-damage. Accessed 11 March 2023 [xv] Phasianus colchinus. The “colchinus” comes from Colchis, now Georgia, a country on the Black Sea. Native to Asia and parts of Europe, it has been widely introduced as a game bird. Nest solely on the ground in scrapes, frequently under a thick hedge. Naturalised in Great Britain around AD 1059. Also see 12 February 2023 [xvi] Vulpes vulpes, the red fox. Male foxes are dogs, females are vixens, and the collective noun is a skulk. Lifespan in the wild is 1-3 years and foxes are omnivorous. Foxes cache food for later consumption. Often appear in folklore and associated with cunning and trickery. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox. Accessed 12 March 2023 [xvii] Wembridge D, Johnson G, Al-Fulaij N, Langton S. State of Britain’s hedgehogs. See https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/SoBH-2022-Final.pdf. Accessed 25 April 2023
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