The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies. Gertrude Jekyll

Annie's Little Plot

Annie's Little Plot

Monday 22 July 2013

My new prickly friends

My biggest excitement this last week or so has been the discovery that we seem to have a couple of hedgehogs residing in, or very close to, our garden. Martin made the discovery while I was away, I'd just been speaking to him on the phone where he'd been sat in the garden at dusk, then he sent me this photo.
Two hedgehogs wandering round the garden, I was very jealous of Martin seeing them, its been years since I've seen one, they really seem to have been struggling. Martin said that he was a bit worried at first, all he could hear was a loud snuffling and rustling in the bushes at the bottom of the garden. He didn't know what was going to pop out. But what a treat.
Obviously with this gorgeous weather I've been making the most of being in the garden and on Saturday night around 10pm as it was going dark. I was sat at my table with a beer and my feet up on a chair, when I heard some rustling near the shed, I kept very quiet and out popped a hedgehog. I have a large tray which I fill with water to water my trays and pots from below and this nearly always has some water in it and the hedgehog went straight for that. It then carried on oblivious to me sniffing around and under my chair, unfortunately then I moved to see where it had gone to and the security light came on and it scuttled off down the path onto the grass. Its lovely to watch but I don't want to scare them off. I'm not certain but they could be living under the shed, they seem to come out from there, though our garden could just be on their evening circuit, I've read that they do visit many gardens and can cover quite a distance each night. I've now seen them most nights, they come just as its going dusk.
I've just looked on the Hedgehog Preservation society website and they are recommending that everyone should leave water out for our prickly friends in this dry weather. Maybe thats why my garden is so attractive to them (and the slugs). There is some advice on encouraging hedgehogs to stay in your garden and that is to make sure there is water and to feed them with meaty dog food?! I've put out some of Bob's dried cat food, the first night I put it out the hedgehog went straight for it and was crunching away, so I've been putting a little bit out each night. I worry a little bit about doing this as you don't want them to depend on it but reading on the website it suggests that it will just help supplement their diet.
I think my slovenly garden habits may also be good here as there are lots of overgrown bits in my garden, leaves piled up near the shed and watering at night may encourage slugs, so I think I'm helping them a bit there.
So honoured that they want to visit my garden and happy for them to keep visiting and eat as many slugs as they'd like.

19 comments:

  1. That's reminds me of when Martyn heard a hedgehog snorting just after watching a video of Michael Jackson's Thriller.

    Hedgehogs aren't very tolerant of one another which was maybe why they were snorting. We had quite a few hedgehogs at one point and if they came across one another they played at battering rams. They certainly drink a fair bit. Being really short-sighted the one that you saw maybe didn't see you at all.

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    1. You may be right, I've only seen one on its own since and he's been much quieter!

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  2. You are so lucky as it's been years since I last saw one. As you say they may just be visitors rather than residents but either way knowing there's food and water in your garden it's likely that you'll keep seeing them. They will of course also dispose of slugs, and snails, for you.
    I'm more than a touch envious. Flighty xx

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    1. I do feel very lucky, like you I'd not seen a hedgehog for a long time, so I really hope I can encourage them to stay,

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  3. Fantastic to capture them on film! We have noticed some droppings each morning that can only come from hedgehogs, no idea where they are coming in but will wait for them on Friday evening as they are creatures of habit. So exciting! xx

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    1. They definitely do seem to be creatures of habit with a very strict routine!

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  4. How lovely to see them that close. I've seen them in our garden a few times and it's always surprising how quickly they can move when they want! xx

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    1. Yes I've been watching them cross the road with trepidation but they do go at some speed.

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  5. How lovely, we did see some in the street the other year, haven't spotted them since which is a shame.

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  6. Oh what a LOVELY post! It's a real treat for me to see healthy hedgehogs in the wild doing what they do. And how wonderful that you are taking such good care of them, they urgently need water in this weather....so your garden must be a little oasis.

    Hogs walk up to a mile a night, but as yours appear at dusk it looks like they live there. Lovely!

    Hogs love cat or dog food, but they won't eat fish flavours, they also love mixed seed/raison/mealworm and there are lots of mixes of this available at pet shops. In dry weather hunting is hard as the earhworms go deeper and slugs hide away and many starve so your timely intervention could mean the difference between life and death in a heat wave.Gorgoeus pic!xxxx

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    1. Thanks Snowbird, yes I know you will see lots of injured or ill ones, I know that they are really struggling as a species, thats why I'm so surprised to see them in my garden. Thanks for the advice. They may also like my garden then as I put a range of things out for the birds and inevitably there will be bits dropped so thats good. Will keep feeding them.

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  7. How exciting to see the hedgehogs in your garden. I haven't seen any for a long time. And it is wonderful to be able to care for them in this heatwave by providing water and food when the ground is becoming dry. And you have the added bonus of excellent slug controllers, too!

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    1. Yes I'm making sure there is a lot of water around. Fingers crossed they will help themselves to slugs as they are passing through!

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  8. Lucky you. We had them in the garden a couple of years ago. One over wintered in a bag of seed and potting compost in the bottom of my plastic green house. I cracked a egg into a flower pot saucer one night and they lapped it up. If they know they are safe and there is food they will hang around for years.

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    1. Hi Cookie, thanks for leaving a comment, thats good to know that they may stay for a while, they could have been around for a while, its only since the nice evenings that I've been able to sit in the garden at dusk and be able to see them. Hope they like it here.

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  9. How exciting to find them in your garden and to have them snuffling round your chair! We have droppings most mornings and saw one walking up the drive about a week ago, he didn't hang round when I went for the camera!

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  10. Oh aren't hedgehogs just sooooooo cute! We have them at the allotment and I just love seeing them, we're often up there late so usually spot them at least once. Last year we saw three all snuffling and snorting following each other in a line! I saw one the other week but just the one and I've not been up there late since. My friend always finds them,often not in good shape, in her garden and phones a local woman who runs a hedgehog sanctuary! I just think these little creatures are adorable! Major soft spot for the prickly little things!!

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  11. I'm so jealous ;) A rare sight now sadly. My OH saw one at the plot the other week whilst late night watering so they are around here. I remember seeing them all the time as a child. We had a family in the garden at one point with 3 of the cutest little babies.

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