Back to my garden, getting the cat food in one bowl, and water in the other for... Hedgehogs!
I may have left some cat food out for too long on Friday. It may have turned into mush. It might have flies all over it. Hopefully the hedgehogs won't mind too much....
Decorator at work.
No 2 nest box/nursery is definitely being decorated, hopefully in readiness for raising a family. It's not quite such a luxury apartment as Box 1, being on a slightly busier route through the garden, but Mrs Tiggy seems to approve.
After a scare, here's our little hedgehog friend free and tucking into cat biscuits and a dish of water - make your garden a safer place for hedgehogs. Watch the video in the link to fully appreciate what a noisy eater the little soul is!
"We have turned throughout history to the hedgehog: we have used them in our fables, and demanded that they cure us of our pains.
The Ebers Papyrus, dating from circa 1550 BCE, suggested that an amulet in the shape of a hedgehog would stop hair thinning.
In Latvian folklore, the hedgehog is a symbol of regeneration and fertility: Latvian wedding songs dub the bride 'she-hedgehog', and married women 'mothers of hedgehogs'."
from 'The Golden Mole', by Katherine Rundell #Nature#Hedgehog#Books
Last December we found an underweight #hedgehog wandering around the park. She weighed only around 400g which is not enough to survive hibernation so we had to take her home. After a few weeks inside with plenty of food as well as treatment for lungworms, stomach worms and fleas, she went out to hibernate. It took her a long time to go to sleep though! Last week she finally woke up again and will soon be ready to go back to the wild. So happy to see that she made it through healthy.
We are grateful for the help and advice we got from a nearby hedgehog rescue center. They were completely overrun with hedgehogs this year, probably as climate change is confusing their birth and hibernation patterns.
Good morning from Frank
Frank has an important message for all "please don't ignore my friends if you see any in daylight hours" #hedgehog #hedgehogs #wildlife
I am torn to and fro: I want to cry at how detached from nature many people have become.
But then I'm happy that someone has shown so much care. It's better to feed a hat bobble once too often - and the rescue centre is also happy about the publicity! 😁 But please beware of Tribbles! 😱
#Hedgehog using the ramp. There is a large step off the patio to the rhubarb, under the #rhubarb will be good hunting for the #Hedgehogs, there is the long way around but had these concrete edging slabs doing nothing so built a ramp for the hogs. #Wildlife#Nature
Quality of the image when the hog is in shot is not great but want to hear a #Hedgehog sniffing out its food? Volume up.
I understand Hedgehogs rely on their sense of smell more than their eyes to locate prey.
(large leaves at the back is my rhubarb, already ready this year, weather is nuts) #Hedgehogs#Wildlife#Nature
Hedgehog experts, we've just spotted a #hedgehog out and about in the garden. Are they meant to be out and about at this time of year? It's dark so at least that bit is ok but just want to be sure.