THE POTHOLING BADGER... (My new poem about an inquisitive badger at Temple Balsall...)

 The Potholing Badger…

Clouds had gathered on a surly, warm afternoon

But no thundery showers resulted and so

I took food for the copse badgers and waited.

Seven soon appeared to rifle through the undergrowth,

Snorting and sorting out the scattered morsels. Soon,

Though an inquisitive young badger crept near me, its advance slow 

And inspected a small hole, its hunger clearly not sated,

Whilst I stood motionless just two metres away, in truth…

It sniffed at a dumped beer bottle at the edge of the cavity,

Then, to my surprise, it began to investigate the hole,

Its butt barely squeezing through the rim, as it foraged.

Undaunted and like a potholer, it would not be discouraged,

Shoved hard and then suddenly disappeared, swallowed whole

Into the depths below, scavenging unwittingly…

Pete Ray

11th June 2023  

 

This was hilarious…

The badger had no idea I was lurking close by as it nudged at a discarded beer bottle then decided to stick its head into a hole I have previously seen mice use.

It then shoved itself inside bit by bit as the video footage shows, until it squeezed into the cavity below. 

When its head reappeared, a few moments later, I almost laughed out loud…