Having decided to experience the solar eclipse from the kayak I paddled into Poole Harbour and sat in the channel off Arne. Heavy cloud disguised the location of the sun, the sky darkened slightly......and that was it. Still saw two Shelduck, a Curlew and Little Egret on the shore and then a Great Blackbacked Gull on the paddle back.
In other news, two badgers were in the garden a week ago and neither looked like Big Boy from last year. The larger of the two had a huge, wide, long tail which dragged an inch or so on the ground, has to be a male. The other one had a noticeably smaller body than the male but it's tail was still quite large, although not quite as long. The male badger had quite a distinct style of peanut snaffling, almost pouncing every time, really burying its nose in the grass each time.
