Badgers & Short-eared Owl

Lade - 0900hrs - cold, sunny, light airs - Land mammals are a bit limited in variety down here on the coast but one beast that appears to be prospering is the Badger. Sadly most sightings relate to road killed animals along the Dungeness Road between the power station and Lydd where lunatics drive at breakneck speed at nigh time along what is little more than a cart path covered in a skim of tarmac. In the early hours I sometimes hear a Badger shuffling along the road outside the cottage, as their claws click on the concrete surface, heading for the foreshore and a bit of forging.
Around Lade pits there are several sprawling setts and as they`re dug into shingle `earth` collapses are frequent. This morning beside south pit a new entrance had literally been dug out overnight in the middle of the footpath much to the amusement of Barney who spent ages checking it out.

                                Badger diggings, Lade

On the pits the same as yesterday including several Marsh Harriers `testing` out the ducks and Coots.
Littlestone - 1500hrs - A stunning end to the day with barely a zephyr to disturb a hunting Short-eared Owl as it ranged widely across the links. With hardly a golfer in sight, amid a blazing sunset we watched the owl from 1530hrs `til dusk as it worked the rough, at least twice disappearing into the long grass for prey. Also noted a brown Merlin and 20 Linnets.