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Science/nature/environment

Hedgehogs at last!!

(37 Posts)
merlotgran Sun 04-Aug-19 11:25:44

Last night we were watching the dogs having their last run in the garden before going to bed when we spotted two dark shapes slowly emerging from the log heap. We immediately thought they were rats as we are surrounded by arable fields but when we called the Jack Russells they didn't take the slightest notice. I grabbed a torch and we were thrilled to spot two baby hedgehogs!!

You may think this is no big deal but when we bought this two acre property in 1990 it was on intensively farmed arable land. I was told by a local tractor driver that nothing would grow without chemicals, other than fen nettles (and boy, do they sting!)

Many years later after lots of hard work and perseverance, we have a healthy organic garden, abundant wildlife and worms a plenty but until last night we have never, ever seen a hedgehog because they don't like fenland soil.

It might seem daft but we're really excited and we'll be out there tonight with a camera because last night, by the time I'd dashed back indoors to grab my phone, they'd disappeared back under the logs.

I feel like the final box has been ticked! smile

merlotgran Thu 15-Aug-19 13:36:34

Haven't seen him/her for two nights now although the dish of food has been eaten. We're hoping the two of them are still OK and may have decided to move on.

Happiyogi Wed 14-Aug-19 16:18:42

merlotgran, you must be very happy and proud to have created a hedgehog-friendly environment. Well done.

Sadly, things have gone in the opposite direction in my garden. We used to see them regularly, but not at all in the last four or five years.

WOODMOUSE49 Wed 14-Aug-19 14:14:17

I consider myself an extremely lucky person. I live in the middle of a wood and see so much wildlife + a cat from across the common! Here to catch mice.

We see hedgehogs, foxes, lizards, grass snakes, so many birds but perhaps my favourite is when I look out of a window a see deer. I had the camera out earlier this year and managed to take a shot of one nibbling some young leaves by the fruit cage.

travelsafar Wed 14-Aug-19 14:13:32

soooo jealous!!!! i would love one in my garden, we have cut a hole in the fence and i built a hedgehog hotel last year but so far no luck sad

agnurse Wed 14-Aug-19 13:48:16

Little cutie!

grannyqueenie Wed 14-Aug-19 09:50:14

That’s lovely merlot and very exciting too!

merlotgran Mon 12-Aug-19 20:12:22

Here's the evidence!

Found it snuffling about in the entrance to the greenhouse. Didn't appear to be injured in any way.

No idea how much it weighs though.

grannyqueenie Fri 09-Aug-19 23:31:17

When I was closing our bedroom curtains just a moment ago, i looked out the bedroom window and spotted a little hedgehog emerging from our driveway and pootling its way across to the other side of the road! Thankfully there was no passing traffic!

agnurse Fri 09-Aug-19 23:04:28

I came across this thread by accident but had to comment! I love hedgehogs! We don't have wild ones in Canada but we are allowed to keep them as pets. Hedgies are adorable and can be very affectionate and sweet, I have been told. (We don't have one as we have two cats and I'm worried they would see a hedgehog as lunch!)

vintage1950 Mon 05-Aug-19 16:34:40

I put out very cheap dried food for cats, in the hope that our pampered local moggies will disdain it. Our wildlife camera has shown foxes and now a hedgehog!

MrsJamJam Mon 05-Aug-19 16:28:11

We has a resident hedgehog last year, but sadly had to stop putting food out as next doors cat was conducting raids! No sign of a hedgehog this summer, until this morning when there was hedgehog poo under one of the bird feeders. Hurray!

merlotgran Mon 05-Aug-19 15:39:15

DH discovered one last night feasting on fallen mirabelles. I went out with the camera but it had gone but at least we will know where to look tonight.

Farmor15 Mon 05-Aug-19 15:30:45

Last night son-in-law, visiting for weekend, came in from late night smoke, and reported seeing hedgehog and confirmed with photo. We were delighted, as we hadn’t seen any for a few years. Though last year, visiting our Swedish family, met a couple in the garden a few times.

bikergran Sun 04-Aug-19 21:02:35

We live in North Lancashire.DD has sort of wild garden, even saw a toad and small toad/frog last week, squirrels, also 2 robins are hanging around every day.

bikergran Sun 04-Aug-19 21:01:22

Went to DD earlier, when I arrived home she sent me these pics.

Earlier on in the year she found a Hedgehog curled up on the top of undergrowth(it wasn't covered up or hidden) she presumed it was a dead one.But about a month later it had dissapeared.

Today she sent me this.(she heard rustling in the undergrowth.)

watermeadow Sun 04-Aug-19 20:41:16

I have watched sadly as the wildlife numbers have fallen disastrously even in my own garden.
This year I’ve seen only one hedgehog, no slow worms or toads. My cat has killed no mice or voles (he’s only an occasional hunter)
One or two ladybirds, a very few butterflies, no beetles.
This is a town garden but with lots of wild bits. The only birds I see are the commonest few.
I blame slug pellets and garden chemicals, used with abandon by all my neighbours.

M0nica Sun 04-Aug-19 20:20:51

DD was woken by the screaming of the hedgehogs, saw what the predator was and buried the remains of the hedgehogs the following day.

Namsnanny Sun 04-Aug-19 19:34:49

We used to have hedgehogs and badgers. I never saw any evidence of the hedgehogs being eaten!
Mind you who knows what happens when we're asleep?

Gave up leaving peanuts out for badgers because a rat population settled in the log pile!

I'd love to encourage the hedgehogs back but I'd be afraid of the food being eaten by rats again (sad)

dragonfly46 Sun 04-Aug-19 18:32:15

Them

dragonfly46 Sun 04-Aug-19 18:32:06

I am afraid we have wild foxes from the woods and badgers so not too many hedgehogs.

Well done Merlot making your land organic again. It is so exciting, please post pictures if you get m.

merlotgran Sun 04-Aug-19 18:30:47

We are fortunate not to have badgers. We've seen one or two dead at the side of the road about three miles from here so they're not far off.

We keep rabbits at bay with fencing, the JRs and a brilliant cat. When we first moved here the fields were full of hares but they're all gone now. sad The upside of that though is we no longer have a problem with illegal hare coursing taking place just the other side of our boundary which used to be scary as they are violent thugs and the police never seemed to arrive in time.

Our largest wild visitors are muntjac and roe deer. Thankfully on our field and not in the garden!

Day6 Sun 04-Aug-19 18:28:36

I had a (gorgeous) diabetic cat and had to leave food out on the back doorstep for him during the day as he too could go hypo if he didn't balance his food intake, activity and insulin.

I kid you not that the empty dishes, every evening when I returned from work, ensured that our hedgehog population became absolutely enormous. grin They were coming to the bowls regularly!

One night we saw what was a giant (mutant grin) hedgehog on the back step. He shuffled off when he knew we were there but he was massive!

When our beloved old cat died, I continued to leave food down on the step and we were rewarded with baby hedgehogs in the garden over the next few years.

I worried about them when I moved. sad

Day6 Sun 04-Aug-19 18:22:27

Merlotgran, I share your excitement!

What a lovely discovery and good for you for ensuring your plot encouraged wildlife to thrive. Here's to Mummy and Daddy hedgehog for doing the business. I hope the little ones lead lovely, peaceful lives in an environment which now suits them.

pinkquartz Sun 04-Aug-19 18:18:43

oh Monica I was about to add that I do have a visiting a Badger... maybe that is why no hedghogs......sad

pinkquartz Sun 04-Aug-19 18:17:40

Well done !

I love this......you have created something very beautiful.

Hedgehogs love cat food and roast chicken...I used to feed a family of them where I used to live they are adorable.

I would love a hedgehog again......I think the neighbouring Holiday park has blocked them off with metal fencing.