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Dancing badgers

Gallery: Regional: UKNPPosted June 13, 2011906 views24 comments

Title: “When the day goes to sleep and the full moon looks”.

Eurasian Badger (Meles meles) – Essex.

Nikon D3, 200-400/f4 + 1.4x, WH2 + Gitzo 3530LSV.
Manual exposure mode f5.6 ;1/500, iso 3200.
RAW image processed in Capture One; sharpened in Photoshop CS5; noise reduction using Noiseware Professional Imagenomic; full frame.

Springwatch have had notoriously bad luck with badgers over the years and I thought they had brought that bad luck with them to my badger site. In 15 years of showing people badgers and photographing them, the badgers have only let me down twice; once during a visit in late December a few years back which was more in hope than real expectation, and once last week with the Springwatch crew. Anyway by reducing the crew size we got what they were after a couple of days later. I’m not sure if they will risk trying to go to the badgers live during the time period that the show is broadcasting. Will be interesting to see.

Quote from Peter Green/Fleetwood Mac – Green Manalishi.

Comments

24 comments

Comment posted by Graham Goddard on June 13, 2011 at 9:26 AM

What on earth was this badger doing to end up in such a strange stance Phil - were you dangling peanut butter sandwiches with a fishing rod

It's an intriguing shot and the techs speak for themselves.

I can't make my mind up as to whether I like it or not though as it is not behaviour I would expect to see a Badger doing - I think I need to know more about the circumstances in which it was taken........

Registered on November 21, 2008, 66 Posts, 253 Comments

Comment posted by Neil Burton on June 13, 2011 at 9:48 AM

Do anything to get on the BBC these days ;)

Intriguing shot, really wish I could see it all on TV!

Registered on September 16, 2010, 26 Posts, 461 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Mason on June 13, 2011 at 10:04 AM

Amazing!!

Registered on December 14, 2005, 399 Posts, 2305 Comments

Comment posted by Phillip Tomkinson on June 13, 2011 at 10:14 AM

what a great image Phil.

Phil.

Registered on July 14, 2005, 194 Posts, 427 Comments

Comment posted by Matt Cole on June 13, 2011 at 10:43 AM

my thoughts echo Graham's perfectly - a very intriguing shot but I'd like to know a bit of context i.e. what it was doing! As a stand alone image, to me, it looks a little strange and open to different interpretations.

Matt

Registered on February 18, 2008, 17 Posts, 267 Comments

Comment posted by Dave Courtenay on June 13, 2011 at 1:14 PM

Just need to photoshop a disco ball in and you there you are-Totally original image, Nothing not to like, Unusual to have a wildlife image work without seeing the eyes
wish it was mine

Dave

Registered on July 18, 2005, 56 Posts, 462 Comments

Comment posted by Kim Connolly on June 13, 2011 at 1:31 PM

Fabulous shot Phil

Registered on June 18, 2008, 14 Posts, 226 Comments

Comment posted by Edwin kats on June 13, 2011 at 3:35 PM

"I'm in the mood for dancing, romancing!!!!!" Cracking shot, made me smile

Edwin

Registered on April 24, 2006, 177 Posts, 399 Comments

Comment posted by Phillip Noll on June 13, 2011 at 9:46 PM

"Cuz this is THRILLER, thriller night....And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike"

Cool shot! Let's see more!

Registered on November 17, 2003, 207 Posts, 1083 Comments

Comment posted by Verdon on June 14, 2011 at 12:12 AM

A W E S O M E !!! congrats strait for competition or like my wife said for kids book..... A-mazing moment !!!!!!!!!!!

Registered on June 10, 2011, 147 Posts, 1444 Comments

Comment posted by keith mitchell on June 14, 2011 at 2:32 AM

Phil that's one amazing shot.

Keith.

Registered on July 12, 2008, 127 Posts, 1735 Comments

Comment posted by Graham Goddard on June 14, 2011 at 3:01 AM

Caught a glimpse on Springwatch last night.......... Looking forward to seeing the whole story now

Registered on November 21, 2008, 66 Posts, 253 Comments

Comment posted by Karen Summers on June 14, 2011 at 5:48 AM

I caught a quick glimpse on Springwatch could see how you got the shot, which is great by the way, look forward to more

Registered on December 3, 2009, 83 Posts, 818 Comments

Comment posted by David Sewell on June 14, 2011 at 8:04 AM

An amazing picture, even once you know how it was obtained. Is the moral of your story that instead of avoiding working with animals (difficult if you do wildlife photography) and children, you should avoid working with children and the Springwatch crew?

David

Registered on September 10, 2008, 63 Posts, 801 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Wilson on June 14, 2011 at 9:28 AM

Cracking image! Made me think of this: http://www.weebls-stuff.com/songs/badgers/

Now searching through Springwatch on iPlayer to see what the story is

Registered on May 17, 2006, 70 Posts, 1166 Comments

Comment posted by Tom_W on June 14, 2011 at 11:13 AM

Absolutely stuuning moment ..

Registered on December 10, 2003, 38 Posts, 87 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on June 14, 2011 at 3:21 PM

Huge respect Phil, great VT, looking forward to more.

Trust you can save something for DC in the USA.

TFS
Steve

Registered on March 25, 2007, 189 Posts, 1064 Comments

Comment posted by Jeroen Stel on June 15, 2011 at 4:52 AM

Amazing behaviour captured!
Well done!

greetings,

Jeroen Stel

Registered on November 10, 2003, 366 Posts, 481 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Litten on June 15, 2011 at 10:00 AM

Very special

Simon

Registered on June 22, 2006, 24 Posts, 275 Comments

Comment posted by Dave Bartlett on June 15, 2011 at 2:32 PM

Not caught up with Springwatch as yet, but a cracking shot - really different. Tipped over the bar

Registered on March 9, 2008, 9 Posts, 113 Comments

Comment posted by John Robinson on June 15, 2011 at 7:02 PM

Hi Phil
Sorry but it does'nt work for me.
It looks like the animal is up against a glass panel ( I know it isn't) Its not a pose one would see this animal in normally, but as I say- well executed.
JohnR

Registered on March 2, 2008, 535 Posts, 2453 Comments

Comment posted by Phil Shaw on June 16, 2011 at 7:10 AM

Thanks for all your comments on this image, I must confess to being rather surprised though. I thought I would get slaughtered for posting this and I only did so because I knew that Springwatch would be showing this unintended behaviour. Personally, I am rather ambivalent about the image: on one hand I think its rather disrespectful of the animal's dignity; on the other hand I can think of lots of uses for an image like this and it shows an aspect of behaviour not normally seen. When I set this up for the photographs that I take, the "hanging bait" is set at a level (nose level with head raised) the badgers can comfortably reach. This type of behaviour sometimes occurs when the bait swings out of the badgers reach. Teaching animals to perform tricks is not something that I do, nor is it something that I'm in favour of, or comfortable with.

Registered on July 25, 2005, 26 Posts, 110 Comments

Comment posted by Karen Summers on June 16, 2011 at 10:29 AM

Got to admit when I watched it on Springwatch I did feel uncomfortable seeing the badger jumping up like that, I didn t like it, were the sandwiches hanging on wire, I felt worried about the end of the wire going near their eyes, I know you wouldn t put them in any danger it just crossed my mind

Registered on December 3, 2009, 83 Posts, 818 Comments

Comment posted by Barrie Courtenay on June 16, 2011 at 12:42 PM

Great work Phil,very envious

Registered on July 11, 2005, 12 Posts, 98 Comments