F started dancing about and shouting for Mr B. He couldn't come because I had him pinned by one of my well applied wrestling moves.
It was broad daylight and she said (she said) there was a hedgehog marching down the garden. I know' because I have already sniffed out ages ago' where it comes in under the corner of the side gate. (Unfortunately the hole it uses is not large enough for me to squeeze out - even in my new svelte shape! Yes, I have lost a bit of weight, but it makes it easier to jump up to things like the desk and the ironing board.)
Hedgehogs aren't meant to be out in daylight but this one clearly hadn't read the manual. It was marching purposefully down the lawn, sort of jumped tumbled off the edge of the low retaining wall around the concrete patio, clambered into the undergrowth where the rhubarb is and disappeared - well it is in there somewhere but well disguised and F wasn't going to scare it off.
No surprise then that later that evening (in the dark like it should be) F heard it scuffling about near the bins. It's a dingy corner where lots of slugs and snails hang out so it might have been on the hunt. Anyway it got some of my food, in one of my bowls and it yaffled down the lot. (F sterilized my bowl, we can't risk lungworms can we?)
Next morning, broad daylight again, there was hedgehog marching purposefully back up the lawn towards the wilderness zone at the top. F gave it some dried calci worms while she was out topping up bird feeders. It yaffled up those as well.
We used to have a hedgehog house beside the garage. That was about 10-12 years ago. There were whole families of hedgehogs here when we moved in 14 years ago and it stayed like that for two or three years, and we gave them houses and stuff, and then they simply disappeared. Try as we might we never saw any more anywhere about the neighbourhood, so it was a real joy to see this one looking so healthy and full of determination back after all this time.
Mr B has been tasked to build hedgehog houses again - two or three of them to be placed in various wilderness zones in our yard, and guess who is going to be supervising that job.....
(and there you were thinking this post was going to be about bird food)
We don’t have hedgehogs. We have echidnas. And seeing one in the wild was such a buzz for us. So I can really relate to the excitement
ReplyDeleteWe would love to see an echidna too. Hedgehogs should be plentiful but they are becoming endangered so this was a real treat. Seems he goes to the neighbours place too (or better there might be two of them....)
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteOh my word, angel Tigger - your garden has been blessed! Hedgehogs have had a bad time of late and it is wonderfurs that this fellow has recognised this is a safe - and well stocked - place for it!!! I do hope he returns to keep F and Mr B entertained. Hugs and whiskeries, YAM-aunty xxx
When we first came here there was one that used to come by at night and sit on our shoes as we sat out in the dark having a beer and a chat. Sweet little fellows.
DeleteHow lucky you are. P has seen a large hedgehog out and about intermittently in our garden during the daytime. He puts out a saucer of water but we are not sure where he comes from or where he goes. I shall request a hedgehog house straight away. Something for P to do on a rainy day.
ReplyDeleteA lady at a local hedgehog rescue said an upturned plastic storage box would do - with an entrance about the size of a CD. The fabulous hedgehog houses have a wall inside with an offset door to stop foxes reaching in a preying on hedgehogs. If I can find the link to some hedgehog houses for sale (which show the design - that we were going to plagerize) I will post it.
DeleteThere are road signs around here warning of hedgehogs crossing and also. in the spring, of frogs. He (she?) looks healthy and strong, though it's a little worrying about the lack of awareness of day and night! Just waiting for bespoke accommodation, perchance?
ReplyDeleteApparently even healthy ones can come out in daylight if they are on a mission (like nest building). We haven't seen evidence of it since then - but then don't expect to see it every day.
Deletethere is a chance this is a Ms Hedgehog that is pregnant and you will get 2 or 3 babies soon. I have only even seen one, and that was in a petting zoo, that did not let us pet the hedgehog. the person holding it had on big leather gloves. it was thrilling, this would be even more thrilling to see one in the yard. good idea to sterilze the bowl, we just found out our area has an outbrake of leprosy, and it comes from armadillos. and of course travelers from other countries. never seen a fox before either
ReplyDeleteOh crikey - I hope not. It is a bit late in the season for babies to get fat enough to survive the winter. The neighbour has reported seeing one in his backyard - and feeds it regularly so it might be the same. As for disease - your country has got some really scary stuff - rabies, leprosy, !!!!
DeleteWe don't have hedgehogs, I think. I know they have quite a territory and need doorways from garden to garden, so it's good to leave little gaps at ground level in new brick garden walls. But most hedges and fences they can navigate.
ReplyDeleteSomething we hadn't thought of but were reminded about by a hedgehog charity recently, is putting out water for them.
DeleteIt's so rare to see a hedgehog these days. They were much more common when Gail was little. So it's good news indeed to see this one thriving in your neck of the woods.
ReplyDeleteFound out recently that we are apparently in a fairly well populated region as hedgehogs go, so even if we don't see them we should be providing homes, water, access from garden to garden etc. Another thing we feel we OUGHT to do. Will get on with that for Mr T.
DeleteMan and cat as they had always been together.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have any hedgehogs around our place...a skunk, a couple of squirrels and a ton of bunnies...but no hedgehogs. Too bed though, they sure are cute!
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining us for Nature Friday this week..we are so sorry for your loss.
xoxo,
Beth, Sunny and Rosy