it takes more than the mind-bending horrors of the british weather to keep me indoors! set off for marbury park in monsoon conditions knowing there was a few hides and plenty of big trees to duck under if it continued, which thankfully it didnt. plenty of birds still singing including a couple of cracking garden warbs. surreal to see a kingfisher fly past me calling in the middle of the woods! blackbird sat tight on a fresh looking nest. great spotted and green woodpeckers calling and a couple of sparrowhawks and buzzards floated by. mobbing blackbirds helped me find a young tawney owl that was joined by a parent. it was getting dark as i headed back through the garlic-scented woods so i thought id sit down-wind of a badger sett id found earlier and see what happened. an hour and 2 dead legs later i was treated to the sight of an adult badger cautiously emerge from a hole not 10 yards in front of me and start snuffling around. magic!