Edinburgh's urban wildlife includes badgers and sparrowhawks – Helen Martin

Living in a conservation area means we have rules to obey. No “upvc” windows, only wooden sash windows even if we need double glazing; front metal gates must be painted black; our garden walls must have lime mortar pointing; etc etc.

Does your garden play host to unexpected night-time visitors like badgers? (Picture: Ben Birchall/PA Wire)

One of the most important regulations is that trees must not be removed without permission. We have a tiny back garden but looking out over other gardens (some much bigger than ours) going gradually uphill, our full view is trees, old ones with “inhabitants” around them, and one that seems to house generations of magpies.

There are loads of squirrels, wood pigeons and occasionally a heron that flies around sitting on chimneys. That doesn’t surprise me.

Our neighbours fixed a wildlife camera on one of their trees and frequently see our nocturnal cat patrolling the area. They also see part of our wee garden – and every creature that wanders past our ground-floor bedroom.

Foxes, and our cat playing with field mice, didn’t surprise me either. But then their night camera caught a badger strolling through! The next early morning was followed, outside our window, by a sparrowhawk killing another bird, possibly a wood pigeon, and flying off with it, probably when it heard one of us get up.

You may think we live somewhere “rural” or quiet. No, we’re not on a quiet road, there’s a bus stop outside, and two double-decker number 24 buses pass us every 20 minutes.

So, if you’re in isolation, working from home, or bored, wherever you live, it might be interesting to film your Night Garden.

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