Three badgers in the rain.

It's late March. It's still cold and a sleety rain is falling! But there is badger activity throughout the night starting quite early.

Cheeky and Stripe badger (Stripe is sitting down) - both are easing snacks out from under the plastic dishes. 

There be three Badgers on a mossy stone

Beside a dark and covered way:

Each dreams himself a monarch on his throne,

And so they stay and stay -

From 'The Three Badgers' by Lewis Carroll.

There was a young badger from Bath

Who was always up for a laugh

When she fancied a snack

She rolled on her back

And called for cheese and a half.

Badger limerick by Mark Simmonds 

Footprints in the snow.

A few more pictures from the snow - this time from the second major snow fall in the district in a month. Above a great tit is little impressed to find the temporary bird table open.

A 'Christmas-card' robin - in March!

And here some tracks in the snow.

The distinctive track of the badger

And our friendly little local white dove. 

Fieldfares in the snow

Fieldfare in the mahonia tree

 The very cold (record-breaking cold in fact) weather has driven birds from the fields and woodlands into snow-filled gardens in search of food. Here in Bath this has included fieldfares - a large species of thrush which overwinters in the UK. Here are some pictures of these spectacular birds.

Along with the fieldfares and more common garden species has come a little flock of starlings:

Robin in the snow