Turf Zone – BattleAbbey
When I thought up the idea for the Planet Gary unofficial Nature Watch medals, to identify either 5, 10 or 25 animals from within a turf zone, I had no inkling just how challenging it would be. Of all the wildlife I’ve encountered while out turfing, and that includes badgers by the bucket full, deer here there and everywhere and more cats than you can count, even a few increasingly rare hedgehogs, it seems that few, if any, were actually spotted within a turf zone.
I’ve made some progress but finding animals within a zone is slow going. Managed the Nature watch 5 easily enough with rabbit, dog, bat, hare and horse, along with two more towards the Nature Watch 10, roe deer and fox. Was out in the early hours of this morning on the Swifty kick scooter, checking out the local golf course in the hope of badger as I spotted them on various occasions in the past. However, other than a few rabbits, nothing else, not even a cat!
Turf Zone – Cockpen
This morning, I kick scooted by way to Newtongrange – to drop off some sunglasses Scott of Mutts Cycles and left behind on his last visit – and hoped the session might offer up further animals. I was hopeful of finding at least a cat, and almost certainly a grey squirrel. However, both were few and far between until zone BattleForest in Newbattle woods. Lots of rustling in the leaf litter, mostly blackbird and robin but soon spotted a solitary grey not far away. Yes, another tick for the Nature Watch 10 list with grey squirrel joining roe deer and fox.
Anyway, this will be my final blog for a few days as we are off to the Lake District for a family wedding at the weekend. Now, I don’t like weddings and thoughts to offer my nephew large sums of money to “lose” my wedding invitation did not come to fruition. However, should be some good grub and noticed some turf zones in Keswick, not far from our B&B. Might head out later this evening for a wander around Dalhousie in hope of spotting a badger, stoat, wild haggis, kelpie, sabre-tooth cat or the like. Back soon.
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