Hedgehog, Uncategorised, Wildlife

Hungry young hedgehog

I haven’t had my night camera in use for a few nights. However I had guessed by the food distribution at my hedgehog feeding station that we have had less hedgehog visits recently. I am also guessing that the landscaping work that my neighbour is still having done perhaps has altered the route they have taken to my garden.

During the day the blackbirds have been seen dashing into the feeding station and running away with the sultanas or peanuts. However, late this evening I was out feeding the guinea pigs and as I walked back and forth I glanced across at the feeding station. Was there something in it? With my own shadow it was hard to tell.

I took a closer look and found a small hedgehog was inside – but the dish was empty. Oops… I ran inside quickly for some dried fruit and gently threw it inside. The hedgehog didn’t move. I lifted the box up and the hedgehog still didn’t move. I guess I startled it as it stayed so still. I went for my gloves and lifted it up. It moved a little and I could see its tiny snout nose. I was concerned that it would run away once I went inside and not take any of the food I put out. I decided to put it on the path outside the entrance to my hedgehog house. It quickly ran in. I quickly ran inside my house for more dried fruit and peanuts and scattered them along the path outside the entrance.

The night camera just had to be set up now to see what happened next! As I was checking I had an okay picture, with all outside lights on, I spotted the hedgehog come out of the house and start eating the food I put out. Poor little thing must have been hungry! I ran inside switching the outside lights off so it could eat in peace and watched the images from my camera. It ate for some time before eventually walking off out into the night once again. I am so pleased I spotted it tonight and was able to see it get some food.

Young hedgehog eeding outside hidden border hedgehog house,
video 0:51 with background music, try 480p quality.


Perhaps this hedgehog will return here for food during the night – if not I am sure the blackbirds will find this food tomorrow morning! How nice to see this hardy little hedgehog still out and about visiting my garden.

Finally, tomorrow I would like to capture some more bird photos from my garden. I do believe I have three juvenile dunnocks running around. They are quite funny to watch following each other round and round the plants looking for food. How wonderful to see the first of the juvenile birds visiting my garden for this year. Now, all we need next is for the female blue tit to complete her nest in my camera nestbox.

The video above was taken in my garden on April 24th 2008.

12 thoughts on “Hungry young hedgehog

  1. Hi Shirl
    It was fun to see your hedgehog film. There is something about the hedgehog that is just BRITISH.I would like a few as I suspect they would like my pillbugs.
    I would love to put out a camera to capture the night life. It would be skunks, raccoons, possums, hispid cotton rats to name a few. Our neighbor filmed an 8point stag with his night camera. Fortunately the deer cannot get over our walls!
    Fun post
    Jenny

  2. Great visitors hedgehogs! We no longer have a problem with slugs since a hedgehog started visiting. I was amazed at how big it was when I saw it one night.

  3. Lovely photo of your acer opening in the sunshine, Shirl 🙂

    I had to try several times to play your hedgehog video. It would not budge initially. Wonder if anyone else had that problem? Someone who visited my last post said they had trouble playing the video of the tadpoles.

    Great footage of it..Glad I tried and tried…well worth seeing it 🙂

    Fancy visiting my newts?

  4. I wish I had hedgehogs in the garden. The video brings alive an animal we all recognise but rarely see.
    PS – I’ve left an award for you on my blog.

  5. Hi Shril – sorry you’ve not heard from me for a while -no time for blogging recently – am hoping to write some stuff on my blog at the weekend – particularly if it rains!!

    I loved your hedgehog story – and will look forward to seeing more on your birds too. We’ve got blue tits in one of our boxes and great tits in the other – the swallows are rejuvinating their nest too and around 8pm as I was cutting the grass in our woodland came across some juvenile thrushes which was great!

    It’s always a pleasure coming to your blog – you’re so enthusiastic – nice sharing stuff with likeminded people!

    Will visit again soon – Miranda

  6. I love your videos! So unique. I see your magnolia is about to bloom. My magnolia is about gone by..it was in full blooms last Saturday when a bride and her photographer stopped on the way to her wedding to take some pictures! You’ll have to drop by my blog and see. Scroll down a few entries to the” Splendid Maggie” posts .
    carol
    terranovadesign.blogspot.com

  7. Hi there Jenny, Lisa, Mo, Karen, Wildlife Gardener, easygardener, Miranda and Carol 😀

    Jenny – Hello and welcome. I am guessing that you are formally a Lancashire lass now living in Austin. You will be growing quite different plants now! At the moment my night camera is hit and miss as I am moving it around localised areas of my small garden. Wow… what a selection of wildlife you would capture in your garden! Thanks, I enjoy playing around with the video footage. Have a great weekend 😀

    Lisa – I’m delighted you enjoy them too. As these visits are new to me too it is great I can share them in this way. The hedgehog really is quite fascinating to watch. Have a great weekend 😀

    Mo – They are aren’t they? I had no idea they were visiting my garden until last year. This year I am now looking out to see how efficient they are in solving the slug problem. I too was amazed at how big they were so that is how I can identify the juveniles now. Enjoy seeing yours. Have a great weekend 😀

    Karen – I am becoming a big fan now myself! Thanks so much for your ‘E’ Award and congrats to you on receiving two awards – both well deserved. You have some great textile artworks. Have a great weekend 😀

    Wildlife Gardener – Thank-you, that Acer is getting more beautiful with every day. Soon the leaves will be fully out. Sorry you had a problem with viewing my video. Occasionally this happens. Maybe Google runs slow on videos when lots are viewed at the same time. Thanks for the invitation – I’ll pop over to see your newts later. Have a great weekend 😀

    easygardener – Perhaps you do have hedgehogs visiting and like me you just didn’t know it! Look out for the droppings. Thanks so much for your ‘E’ Award, I do very much appreciate it. Have a great weekend 😀

    Miranda – Good to hear from you. Oh yes… I would expect this would be a very busy time of year for a Garden Designer! I’ll pop by soon to see what you have been up to. Hedgehogs and storytelling just go together don’t they? Delighted to hear you have success with your nesting birds. You must have a wonderful garden for wildlife. Oh… I’d love to have seen your juvenile thrushes – you must post photos please!! Thank-you, I really enjoy posting on my blog. It is wonderful to meet so many likeminded people – I completely agree! Have a great weekend 😀

    Carol – Thank-you! I am considering changing the format so you can see the videos full screen. I will have to test it out first. I have popped by your blog – what great shots of the bride. What a fantastic show of blooms too!! I cannot believe how many you have. My magnolia really is tiny – not even 3ft high. Have a great weekend 😀

  8. Great vidoe Shirl, love the music in this one, I’m looking forward to seeing your photos of the dunnock young, no signs of anything yet down here, but all the birds seem very busy.

  9. Hi again Mike, thank-you I always have fun with the videos 🙂

    I caught one of the dunnocks with my camera but it is only on its own now. I expect the paving and landscaping that my neighbour is still having done (3 weeks now) has caused the exploring birds to move away. There is a fair bit of noise with the machinery being used. Hopefully they will finish next week and put the fences back up I’m sure this has had an impact on the ground birds like the dunnock.

    I hope to do a bit of exploring myself this weekend – round all the blogs I have been missing recently. See you then! Have a great weekend 😀

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