When all the fieldwork comes to fruitation it's a great feeling, but pictures aside it was amazing to watch badgers at such close proximity. At one point it looked like one of the adults might enter the hide !! We think there may have been up to 6 individuals present, but certainly 5 at one time. Much to our delight the cubs were fearless and charged around often stealing food from under their mum's nose, quite literally. We watched for about 35 mins and then decided to leave when the badgers returned to the Sett after being spooked by something. It was tempting to stay for longer but we didn't want to disturb them once they were beginning to disperse for a night's foraging.
More images available in the badger gallery
It's incredibly frustrating that a senseless and unnecessary development just 5 metres from this spot will introduce untold disturbance to this family of badgers. While badgers are protected by law, the reality is that the Conservative government, and the coalitian before them, have weakened wildlife and environmental protection to the point where organisations such as Natural England, who are supposed to protect wildlife and habitats, simply approve almost any development proposals.
Don't be fooled by developers who say they comply with best practice / environmental standards etc. If the bar is set low enough anything will pass. Sorry to get political but you can't enjoy the images and animals without knowing what's happening not just in Cambridge but across the whole UK. If only more people could see these magical animals I've no doubt that developers would have to comply to some much higher standards and take the needs of wildlife into account.
The family gathering at the burrow entrance
Mum leading the way
Here they come
In general the badgers ignored the shutter clicks after the first few, which were well spaced, but this cub showed an interest in the hide and shutter sounds for quite a while. However, it didn't stop it from feeding heartily.
A shaft of warm evening sun illuminates this badger's face