A live 24/7 stream from BadgerWood in the Peak District, where wild badgers and foxes visit every night, with night vision and sound
Peak District Conditions
About the BadgerWood badger and fox camera
BadgerWood is a small coppice in the heart of the Peak District National Park, where wild badgers, foxes, owls, deer and more come for food, water and shelter. The camera has night vision and sensitive microphones, so you can see and hear everything, from the snuffles and purrs of the badgers to the sounds of the woodland at night, 24 hours a day.
🦡 The badgers of BadgerWood
Badgers are the stars of the show. Most nights they arrive after dark, snuffling through the leaves for worms, beetles and anything tasty, and sometimes squabbling over the best spot. Watch them for a while and you'll start to recognise individuals by their size, their markings and the way they behave.
Badgers live in family groups in underground setts, and they're creatures of habit, so they often turn up at roughly the same time each night. They don't hibernate, but on the coldest winter nights they may stay underground and only appear now and then.
🦊 Foxes at BadgerWood
Foxes visit BadgerWood too, usually slipping in quietly to see what the badgers have left. They're more nervous than the badgers, and you'll often see one wait at the edge of the picture before darting in. Badgers and foxes mostly ignore each other, though there's the odd standoff over food, and it's fascinating to watch who gives way.
In winter, listen out for foxes calling. The breeding season brings some very eerie screams after dark, and the microphones pick them up well.
👀 What you might see
| When | What to look out for |
|---|---|
| ☀️ Daytime | Woodpeckers, nuthatches and lots of other woodland birds at the feeders |
| 🌆 Dusk | The woodland settles down, and the first visitors start to appear |
| 🌙 Night | Badgers and foxes, small rodents, and sometimes a tawny owl out hunting or a deer passing through |
| 🌱 Spring | Badgers busy after the winter, and with luck, the first badger and fox cubs in late spring |
| ☀️ Summer | Cubs exploring and playing, and short nights packed with activity |
| 🍂 Autumn | Badgers feeding hard to build up fat for the winter |
| ❄️ Winter | Fewer badger visits on the coldest nights, and foxes calling in the breeding season |
Best time to watch: from an hour or so after dark for badgers and foxes. Turn the sound on with the green button, as you'll often hear them before you see them.
❓ Questions people ask
When do badgers come out?
Badgers usually come out after dark, often within an hour or two of nightfall, and visit on and off through the night. In summer, when the nights are short, you may see them around dusk.
Do badgers hibernate?
No. Badgers don't hibernate, but they're much less active in very cold weather and may stay underground for a few nights at a time.
What do badgers eat?
Mainly earthworms, along with beetles, grubs, fruit, nuts, bulbs and roots. They're not fussy, and they'll eat almost anything they can find.
When are badger and fox cubs born?
Badger cubs are born underground in late winter and usually first come above ground in spring. Fox cubs are born in spring and start exploring outside their den a few weeks later.
Do badgers and foxes get on?
Mostly they ignore each other. They often visit the same places to feed, and there's the occasional standoff over food, but serious fights are rare.
Why is the picture black and white at night?
At night the camera uses infrared light, which shows in black and white. Badgers and foxes can't see it, so it doesn't disturb them.
Are badgers protected?
Yes. In the UK, badgers and their setts are protected by law under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. That's one reason we don't share the exact location of BadgerWood.
🎥 More live cameras
🌿 More to explore
- 👀 Recent sightings from the live cameras, and the sighting logs archive
- 🗓️ Peak District wildlife calendar and events
- 🌿 Peak District nature groups, venues and walks
- 🧠 Test yourself with the free wildlife quiz
About the stream: BadgerWood is a non commercial wildlife stream, run as a retirement hobby by a former CCTV engineer. The aim is simply to help connect people with our beautiful local nature.
Paul 🦉