The Knaphillian

All these tweets about rare birds got me thinking.

Anyone know anything about the deer in the Knaphill Country Park? I can see them from my Kitchen and in the winter when I hang some hay up I sometimes attract up to four. Occasionally some young 'uns. They change colour during the year so identifying and thus counting them is difficult.

Also wondered if anyone has seen any badgers? There are plenty of holes scattered around the woods and the odd tatty fox trots by but I have never seen a one. Obviously being shy and nocturnal does not help.

Ho, hum, probably should leave for work now.

Z

I'm lucky (?) enough to have a colony of badgers living in a sett that backs on to my house in Wiltshire - so have seen them a few times in the year that I have been living here. They do like to perform extensive earthworks and turf re-location though, but I can live with that.

As far as Knaphill is concerned I can confirm recent badger activity in the gardens of Highclere Road/ Lane End Drive in the past 6 months or so. I would suggest that they probably emerge from the woodland that seperates 'LED' with the 'Birds' estate. I know of a sett near The Priory too so perhaps they negotiate the Chobham Road in their quest for food. I don't know what the average badger's range is.

Put some peanuts and honey on a paper plate in the middle of a sandpit overnight and you'll eventually be able to identify any resulting tracks.

Sorry to read that you're shy and nocturnal !!!! Chin up.

Where have all the deer gone?

Saw the tweet yesterday: "Sad report received that gypsies have coarsed and wiped out the deer population at Brookwood Farm, knaphill. Full details will appear soon." We used to see them all the time in the woods of Knaphill Country Park. I left the garden gate open a couple of times and managed to entice them in with a few carrots: VIDEO HERE  But I've not seen any for months, in fact the video I took in 2010 was probably the last time. The most I ever saw in one go were four, but there were fawns most years so I assume there were many more.

A real shame if there are none left.:(

I have seen a dead badger Brookwood Lye Road and a live one running across Barrs Lane.. and i Barn Owl!, I have even seen a deer that had literally been cut in half and dumped down Queens Road Bisley- I can only assume Travellers had caught it and cut off the best end!!!

saw a deer yesterday 16.may in feild between the 2 streams on way to brookwood rec.