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Hedgehogs

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

maggiewinchester

maggiewinchester Report 19 Oct 2022 14:27

I know there are hedgehogs behind my neighbours fence.
I saw a young one on her bank on Monday, when I had a power cut, and I went around to see if it was just me, and if not, for her to call me when she needed hot water
(I have a gas stove).
I checked on hedgehog on my way back - it had gone, hopefully to snuggle with it's siblings.

Well, I looked out of my front window this morning, only to see a bowl of water and a bowl of pet food on my lawn!
I can only assume someone spotted a hedgehog out there last night (there is a street lamp right by it), and decided to feed it :-D :-D

Bobtanian

Bobtanian Report 19 Oct 2022 17:30

need all the help they can get.... sadly feline scavengers help themselves to hedgie food...

JoyLouise

JoyLouise Report 19 Oct 2022 17:38

We have one who has clearly been making itself a hibernation spot behind our hedge. He may even be in there now but we have not wanted to disturb its hibernation if it has already bedded down.

By the way, I entirely agree with your avatar/wotsit, Bobtanian.

nameslessone

nameslessone Report 19 Oct 2022 18:02

Why on your lawn Maggie? Isn’t theirs good enough?

maggiewinchester

maggiewinchester Report 19 Oct 2022 18:17

No idea names. I do cut the grass - honest!
Obviously not as well as my neighbour. The neighbour the other side has flagstoned their garden - so there's nothing appealing to hedgehogs there.

However, there's a taller area of grass on my 'lawn', by the garden wall - the wall is only about 18" high - which is where the bowls are.
The only reason this bit is higher, is that I think there was some sort of rock garden there once - many moons ago, anyway there are lots of stones, grape hyacinths and grass there - and I'd rather have a full blade on my mower, than short grass there! :
The soil there is also awful!

I'm going to turn it back into a rock garden area one day.
I have rocks, and succulents awaiting planting in this place, in the back garden.

However, if the hedgehog has decided it's 'their' winter home, I'll just have to wait. <3

JoyLouise

JoyLouise Report 20 Oct 2022 08:30

Our hedgehog is not hibernating yet as I spotted him last night toddling quite quickly along the patio then up a step onto the grass.

Von

Von Report 20 Oct 2022 10:07

Our resident hedgehog visits nightly. No idea where it goes during the day but there

are plenty of wild areas for it in the garden ;-)

MR_MAGOO

MR_MAGOO Report 20 Oct 2022 10:21

We had a family come to the front garden in August mum and three little ones. Now only see one presumably the mother. Still put food out it goes but don’t know who’s eating it. Will stop it soon.


Maggie you date for your cat in your picture on the post don’t add up.

nameslessone

nameslessone Report 20 Oct 2022 10:32

Still find it odd that it has been put on YOUR lawn,

Hope the dishes are nice as you could claim them as having been fly tipped ;-)

maggiewinchester

maggiewinchester Report 20 Oct 2022 11:53

Mr M - you're right! I've changed it now. 2006 seems soooo long ago.

When we moved here, Betty and her brother George had a kind of 'dominance' competition. to see who could get to the highest. place - George was the winner in the last place - he had a 'nest' in a high Leylandia.
George got higher than Betty's washing line post, when he found a way onto the shed.
I had visions of one of them managing to get on the roof of the bungalow :-S

It was the same in the house. If I couldn't find them there'd be one on the wardrobe, and the other on top of the kitchen cabinets.
Sadly George died in 2021.

maggiewinchester

maggiewinchester Report 20 Oct 2022 11:59

Names, I find it odd, too, that it's on my lawn.
It could have been one of the many dog walkers who saw the hedgehog, but if they're going to feed them they shouldn't really do it on an 'ad hoc' basis.

As for the bowls, they're china, but don't match, and not to my taste.
I'd rather have 2 matching terracotta bowls that don't stand out like sore thumbs!

The food's been eaten, not sure if it was a hedgehog or rat, though

Cornish Susie

Cornish Susie Report 21 Oct 2022 10:52

We've had a hedgehog in our garden for several years now,didn't see it last Autumn but the food I was putting out still vanished. We eventually bought a motion triggered camera to satisfy my curiosity - three mornings running it showed a whopping great seagull having it's breakfast but no hedgehog - so I stopped!

maggiewinchester

maggiewinchester Report 21 Oct 2022 15:08

Sue - :-D :-D :-D :-D

My daughters' bought me a 'tracker' camera for my birthday, but I haven't set it up yet.
I'm not sure I would set it up in the front garden (where the bowls are), as it would be too easy to pinch!

If it was a rat that ate the food in my garden, I'm not too pleased with the anonymous neighbour who put the food there :-|

maggiewinchester

maggiewinchester Report 22 Oct 2022 11:24

Just found out who left the bowls - it was my other neighbour :-D

She saw a hedgehog twice - it's definitely a juvenile, but can't be the one from behind my other neighbours', as that one was on a walled bank - unless it fell off - but the wall is about 3 ft high - then it's quite a long way to the front of the bungalows. :-S

Gwyn in Kent

Gwyn in Kent Report 22 Oct 2022 13:24

Glad you've sold the mystery of the left dishes.

I'd love to see a hedgehog here.
As far as I know there hasn't been one visiting our garden for years. :-(

maggiewinchester

maggiewinchester Report 23 Oct 2022 22:48

Well, I've tried making a hedgehog home from bits I've got lying around, but I haven't got 'full access' to the shed at the moment, and it's taking longer than anticipated :-(
I was woken up by a deluge of rain this morning, and I thought about this poor hedgehog.
So, It's a compromise.
I've used tent pegs to secure the top half of a plastic cat carrier to the ground.
There's no tunnel, to stop foxes etc trying to get the hedgehog, but I've put a section of a really thick cardboard box in there, sideways on, as a 'nesting' box, and barrier.
It's there if the hedgehog is still around, and needs it - even just to shelter from the rain. If it's already (hopefully) found somewhere else, it's no skin off my nose.
I'm getting some hay on Tuesday.