Sunday 4 September 2016

Hedgehog Diary

I have been putting the camera out in the garden over the past few weeks to see how the hedgehogs are doing. As the evenings are getting chillier I also popped some nice new hay into and over the box in the hope it will make it snug and enticing for the winter. I was so pleased when just the next evening the smaller of the hedgehogs decided to pay it a visit. At first he just stuck his head in to have a look but then he definitely went right in. The camera doesn't seem to want to pick up the movement right by the entrance - it's under a shrub which makes it more difficult - but watching for a couple of nights it seemed I did have a house guest! I crawled under the shrub today and had a quick peak and there were snoring prickles in amongst the hay. Whether he/she decides to make it a hibernation home we shall see but I'm chuffed it has at least been found.


I also had some footage showing both the hedgehogs in the same shot. The bigger one is feeding when the smaller ones comes along. They do eat together for a while but the smaller one is nervous, jumping back when the bigger hog snuffles in his direction.




A (nother) walk in the woods

I may have mentioned it before but we often walk in our little local meadow and woodland. It's our go-to place for a quick mile or so wander. I rarely go without taking the camera as whatever time of year there is normally something to photograph. Revisiting a place often also provides a little insider knowledge of where to look for certain species. Each autumn we know where the fungi will often grow, and in the late summer which sunny spots are favoured by the butterflies and dragonflies.