Badgers still here. Sow is a little bad tempered. 18th January 2026

Our changeable British weather displays a typical winter. Periods of frosty cold. Periods of warmer, wetter weather. This last week has seen more warmer, wetter weather. As such, our badgers have become more active.

If you cast your minds back to last week's update, I said my UsoGood trail cam had no footage of any sort. Blank. Nada. No files of any sort. This seems to happen a lot with my UsoGood. I can only think the slider switch can get temperamental, or perhaps I forget to turn it on properly. It is in a low, slightly awkward place.

This week, I did turn it on properly, and it captured a fair amount of activity. Perhaps for me, it confirms that this lower left entrance is indeed an entrance to the sett complex and is being used my the badgers.

This next sequence has our sow taking a cautious peek out of this entrance, before deciding to return to the sett complex.

This very short video clip shows the sow turning and disappearing into the sett after taking a peek. It's neat because it confirms the hole goes back into the sett as opposed to just being a 'work in progress' hole.

And here's one with a badger emerging from the entrance, then taking a sniff of a holly leaf. Badgers scent mark this holly branh.

Switching to the main sett entrance. Far more activity here than during the cold snap. Our badgers tend not to use this entrance much. They have a choice of two entrances to the left and, I reckon, one or two entrances to the right; which I can't get a trail cam on safely. A lot of what I see of the main sett entrance are the badgers crossing from left chamber to right chamber and back again, without leaving the sett.

I've noticed the sow can be short tempered, and scolds the boar. Whether this is a 'knee jerk' defensive reaction on meeting another badger in the dark or whether she is just plain bad tempered is anyone's guess. Thus, in this video, our sow has emerged from the lower left entrance, then encounters the boar and gives him a right telling off.

Other interactions between sow and boar are far more amicable.

Our badgers are very cautious. The sow being hyper cautious. Here she is intent and alert about some happening to the left. The boar just snuffles around.

This is an alternate side view of a video earlier on, which was filmed from the front of the sett complex. I've discovered the need to have multiple trail cams on a sett, even this small sett, to get a proper perspective of what is happening. Many times one trail cam, particularly the one at the rear of the sett, captures imagery which the other four do not. Allying fears that the badgers have abandoned the sett.

Many quite capable trail cams can be bought for roughly £40 or less. Better still, keep watching Amazon for special offers and you can pick up good trail cams for roughly £40.

Some are complete lemons e.g. UsoGood. But others have surprised me e.g. Bargarbou trail ams are good, despite not being no glow.

I have ancient Apeman trail cams, which although having atrocious video and photographic capabilities, do just keep on operating. And are no glow.

GardePro are good, though can be on the more expensive side even when on offer e.g. roughly £50-£60. However, they are no glow, and produce good imagery.

Personally, I would steer clear of the very cheap trail cams i.e. sub £40. However, they may be fine, and will operate as well as the more expensive brands. It's just their reviews on the likes of Amazon tend to suggest otherwise.