NB: This update contains a video clip that may be too large to show in the e.mail version of the update; you will need to view online: HERE
For many years my constant companion on nature walks has been Herbie, the terrier: here is one of the earliest photos I have of him as a tiny pup...
For many years my constant companion on nature walks has been Herbie, the terrier: here is one of the earliest photos I have of him as a tiny pup...
Somehow, and I really have no idea how, but somehow since then, 15 years have passed. He's now an old gentleman and finds walking at all difficult, let alone rambles in the countryside...
Now partially sighted with almost no hearing, a touch of doggie dementia and a long-term allergy, he's pretty much confined to base, and that suits him just fine.
As I guess happens to us all as we age, sleep patterns are disrupted and whilst Herbs will happily sleep for 15 hours or more of the day, he also often wakes in the early hours.
Why am I telling you all this? Well because on one recent early morning visit to the back garden to enable him to empty his bladder, an amazing thing happened - something that I may never have known about otherwise. Here is a very obscure, tenuous clue, that I doubt you will know because you are not of...an age!
No? Surely you know all about 'The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion'? Okay then, too niche? How about Thomas Hardy's poem 'Afterwards'? It's a bit of a eulogy, but lovely poem all the same...
'If I pass during some nocturnal blackness, mothy and warm....'Okay then, enough with the criptic clues now, I'll just show you the footage...
I have not seen a hedgehog for years now, and the last time I spotted one in the garden must be close to 20 years ago; it was before I had a digital camera, I do remember that much.
It was so exciting to see this one looking really healthy and well fed: probably eating from scraps dropped from the bird feeding station, as well as helping to keep the slug population down. I've got a very strong light that I sometimes use for macro work and so decided to try and use it to get a closer photo in colour using my phone camera...
On one night the hedgehog spent about 5 hours feeding and wandering in the garden, between around 11pm and 4am. I'm not sure if it actually lives in the garden, as a rule I think hogs need more than one garden to call their patch, but I want to try and encourage it to hibernate here, if it has not done so in previous years.
I set to work on a makeshift hedgehog house, constructed from an old apple crate...
Here it is in situ...
The jury seems to be out on whether to add dry leaves to the nest box area, I decided to add some anyway...
The next job was to sort some food; perhaps not required right now, but maybe so later on. There is already a large stone saucer that provides a supply of fresh water.
I did put some food out just to see if the hedgehog was interested, but all it seemed to attract was plenty of slugs...
This next image is again, from my phone...
So there it is, my very exciting news: the little garden that just keeps giving, what a joy for this boy!
Now don't get yer knickers in a twist, this is not a spider...
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| Odiellus spinosus - a Harvestman |
When I was researching the species, this is what I found on the internet:
It prefers man made habitats and is most often found in gardens and around buildings.
It usually lives on the ground but will climb bushes, trees and walls.
What I can tell you is that this is the first ever sighting of this species for me. As for the 'will climb bushes, trees and walls' bit; I guess it'll do more than that because I spotted this one inside the loft space in the house.
Oh yes! My little poser in the title of this update. The answer was 5,000 to 7,000 and the question? Roughly how many spines does a hedgehog have.
4 comments:
Well done. We have up to 5 hogs per night and we also release some for our local rescue centre, so they are a constant feature here. Watch the terrier for them. They smell great to dogs and my terriers can wake up indoors and know when there is a hedgehog outside. They can easily injure a hog, so after dusk ours are leader only.
Yes put leaves in the box. Hogs like any thick vegetation to curl up in. I have found them in nests under a bush in the open before, so your box will be ideal. Keep feeding but watch for cats and remember to put water out too. They are prone to all manner of problems. They get summer hypothermia if it rains to much, dehydrated when it doesnt. If you see one in daylight, something is wrong...
Cheers Stewart
Hi Stewart,
Thanks so much for taking the time to vist my blog and also leaving this comment for me.
You have FIVE hedgehogs per night...WOW!
Yes, I did realise that the dog could be a threat, but really he is never allowed in the garden on his own these days after ending up being very ill from eating stale bread from the bird table. Even so, he is curious and can definitely smell the hog, and so somebody always supervises.
Oh good, I did the right thing by providing leaves in the box.
As I mentioned in the blog, there is always plenty of fresh water and cats have not been a problem over recent months. They have been in the past though, especially with the blue tits that nest here and so will remain aware. I am placing some of the dry food adjacent to the house in the hope it will entice the hog inside.
Years ago one did turn up in the garden in daylight and was obviously undernourished, and so that one got taken to a wildlife sanctury for treatment. Thanks though for the tips regards health issues. BTW, a second hog has already been spotted in the garden, this one is a bit smaller.
Many thanks again Stewart,
JJ.
Hi JJ, how are you doing? I am actually sitting down at my computer reading blog posts for a change. I can't comment on Blogger blogs from my ipad which I am normally glued to, so don't bother much reading posts. Plus I went right off social media and blogging for a long time. We have moved to the south of France and I'm having a great time discovering new things of interest here.
Hoorah to the hedgehog! What a brilliant find. Amazing photos too! You have been really kind building a hog box. I would have said yes - put dried leaves in. We did when we made a hog box years ago and it was used. In my last garden in Brittany I discovered several hibernating hedgehogs in my flower beds - really interesting seeing how they had tucked themselves up for the winter. Makes you wonder how they can construct such a toasty nest AND tuck themselves inside it. One was all lined in moss and underneath the remains of a fern, so lots of dead fern leaves over the top. Another one was on my thyme bank where it had dug partially under the roots of an ornamental grass whose thatch of dead underneath leaves sheltered it; again there was moss. I had to be very careful when doing the end of winter garden tidy up!
Anyway, great to 'see' you again and take care!
P.S. We recently discovered a huge gorgeous caterpillar - the larva of the Giant Peacock Moth!!!
Hi Mandy,
Gee, what a surprise hearing from you after all this time.
I know how you feel about social media and blogging Mandy - I have wrestled with it myself, many a time! There are so many other worthy things we could be doing with our time and constructing a decent blog post takes time and effort, which is something that I don't always have these days ;-)
Anyhow, more importantly, it sounds as though you are well and enjoying your move. I must say that surprised me somewhat too when I read it; your other place seemed to be idyllic, it certainly looked it from what I saw. I envy you having new surroundings to explore - after more than a decade of searching locally, I rarely find new things these days.
As for the hog box ;-) I just HAD to do it to give it a home through the winter should it be in need of one. It's only a simple job really, but should suffice. Yours sound pretty amazing though. What with the moss and fern fronds. I do now think there is more than one hog visiting my garden, not sure where it/they are sleeping at present though.
The Peacock moth larva sounds fantastic Mandy! I have been very lapse about keeping up with blog posts from others and so will make a concerted effort to do so shortly.
Kind regards (and take care yourself)
JJx
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