Field Notes
No. 09
No. 09
Badger
12th September 2026
12th September 2026
Fergus spotted it, stopped and stared, as is his normal inter-species opening gambit. I thought it was just a fox but when I looked I could not believe that I was finally seeing a badger in the flesh and from their size, a young one. I thought I had got a better picture but it was very dark last night, with no moon. I was thrilled to spot one but now I'm worried that the next time I see it, it will be by the roadside, hit by a car. Let's hope not.
A few moments later a fox stopped in the road and stared at us. Fergus barely raised an eyebrow. Foxes seem so ordinary now.
At a glance
SpeciesEuropean Badger
Latin nameMeles meles
FamilyMustelidae
Size75–100cm long, plus a 15cm tail; 8–12kg
HabitatWoodland, hedgerows, parks and gardens — increasingly suburban
Key facts
- Britain's largest land predator, living in family groups called clans in underground burrows called setts
- Nocturnal and mostly active at dusk and after dark, which fits a suburban night-time sighting
- Earthworms are the dietary mainstay, topped up with fruit, small mammals, and whatever else is going
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No. 08
Moon jelly
29th June 2026
At a glance
SpeciesMoon Jellyfish
Latin nameAurelia aurita
FamilyUlmaridae
SizeDiameter 5–40cm
HabitatCoastal waters worldwide; the most common jellyfish in UK seas
Key facts
* Recognisable by four horseshoe-shaped gonads visible through the translucent bell
* Its sting is too weak to
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Field Notes
No. 07
Hawthorn, Dog rose, Elderberry, Bryony, Hops
26th August 2026
The end of summer is showing Nature's full abundance just in our local walk this morning.
There are so many berries around that I wonder whether walkers are leaving them for the wild creatures who
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Field Notes
No. 07
Lesser Black-Backed Gull
23rd August 2026
At a glance
SpeciesLesser Black-Backed Gull
Latin nameLarus fuscus
FamilyLaridae
Size52–64cm, wingspan 135–150cm
HabitatCoasts, estuaries, farmland, increasingly urban rooftops
Key facts
* Dark grey to black back distinguishes it from the paler Herring Gull
* Yellow legs are
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