Nightwalk nature

Any of you who have taken your PADI scuba diving certificate will no doubt remember that the big fish come out at night to feed.

The night dive in its darkness is unsettling and adrenaline boosting at the same time.

The nightwalk with your dog holds these very same elements.

Two nights ago I was out, up in the woods with my pup, doing our usual 30 minute circuit.

As we entered the woods we headed up towards the local ski jump. No more than 150 meters later we met a fantastic sight.

We were greeted on the path by a cete (yes i googled it) or clan of badgers. 3 beautiful badgers were walking down the path towards us.

Minttu and i stopped, with her sitting obediently by my left side.

The badgers were now no more than 10 meters from us and they saw us. All three came to a sudden stop.

Minttu and i stayed perfectly still and just took in the moment.

Eventually the third badger at the back started walking down their intended trail. The other two however had no intention of coming closer to us and turned around.

Within moments they were scurrying off into the woods and towards a nearby garden. It was rather a special moment.

We continued on our walk and enjoyed the abundance of birdsong. When the background buzz of the city dies away at night the woods are filled with the sounds of birds.

No more than 15 minutes later we arrived at some grasslands. There in the long grass was a female deer. She clearly did not have her baby nearby as she was not in any state of alert as we passed by calmly.

Minttu has seen the deer family who live nearby almost daily since she was eight weeks old and therefore gives them no more attention than if a person was in the vicinity.

Nearing the end of our walk and back on the gravel path we had one more animal to greet. Coming out of a garden was a young male deer. He seemed quite confident and not flustered by our presence as we approached calmly and slowly.

When we were maybe about 15 meters from him he decided to stand in the bushes a few metres to the side of the trail and let us pass.

I thanked him as he was watching us and we had direct eye contact. He could see we meant him no harm and were safe. 20 seconds later he had returned to the path behind us to continue on his own adventure.

A nightwalk in nature is not only a great way to clear the mind, but it is an opportunity to feel a deeper connection to the Natural World around us.

Doggies: Lucy, Haraka and Lucy