Any hedgehogs out yet?

mrb123

Anyone had any sightings yet?

Maybe a bit early up here in the North East. Havent seen any squashed on the roads yet so guessing they're not active yet.

Have stuck a bit of food out tonight anyway in case our usual garden resident decides to awaken.

david37

you're just feeding rats and foxes at this time of year Mr B.

mrb123

david37 said:

you're just feeding rats and foxes at this time of year Mr B.

Yeah, think it's too early up here. We have a feeding station in the garden. The food was taken last night but the brick in front of the entrance had moved a bit which a hedgehog wouldn't be able to do so probably a cat.

the_rover

My missus volunteers at a hedgehog rescue and I share my pain cave with 5 hogs that are in need of care. I’ve made quite a few feed stations for them to give out to folk who are also happy to help.
They are appearing early this year due to the up and down weather.

surrey_commuter

I haven't seen a hedgehog in the wild in over a decade

mrb123

surrey_commuter said:

I haven't seen a hedgehog in the wild in over a decade

We're pretty lucky. All the gardens round us are fairly big and there seems to be a thriving population.

Not uncommon to see two or even three on a walk after dark.

Got our feeding station set up outside the conservatory so you can get pretty close to them.

surrey_commuter

mrb123 said:

surrey_commuter said:

I haven't seen a hedgehog in the wild in over a decade

We're pretty lucky. All the gardens round us are fairly big and there seems to be a thriving population.

Not uncommon to see two or even three on a walk after dark.

Got our feeding station set up outside the conservatory so you can get pretty close to them.

I see foxes daily and have seen badgers and even red squirrels but the only hedgehogs have been a friends rescue service

Pross

We get one in our front garden and have put a pile of chopped up branches down to try to encourage them. The one we saw out there last year a few times was a monster, seeing him climb our fairly high steps was quite amusing.

orraloon

Something I learned a few years back: why they are called hogs (of the hedge variety). Was doing some work outside with level changes and a new retaining wall. Found one morning a young hedgehog stuck in the lowered trench. Rescued it, scuttled off into nearby bush then an incredibly loud bout of squealing happened, assume it was the family celebrating being reunited. Never knew hedgehogs squeal.

Ben6899

Here it's foxes, squirrels and some lesser-spotted birdlife which is always nice.

I'm sure there are hedgehogs, but not on a first-floor terrace...

elbowloh

At our new place, the garden is literally a bit of lawn and patio, we have no trees, no plants/bushes at all. I think previous owners spent a lot of time at their second home in Scotland, so wanted a low maintenance garden.

Even so, we've had numerous foxes and squirrels in the back, and a few birds. I really want to encourage more as I like wildlife photography and also want to put my trail camera up (i had it observing a fox den under the shed at our last place).

Tashman

Large one in our back garden last night. The cats didn't know what to make of it

elbowloh

Tashman said:

Large one in our back garden last night. The cats didn't know what to make of it

Stroganoff?

sandyballs

Yep, my dachshund found one last night in the garden and started gobbing off at it, it did the obvious curl up and waited. Good size one too looked healthy.

pinno

I built 3 burrows in the midden but I don't know if there are any residents.
But to honest, I haven't seen many here at all and I live in the sticks.

I did see one on the road a couple of years back who was curled up in a ball. At first I thought he/she was dead and so I parked the car at an angle to stop traffic, took off my jumper and used it to lift him up. I placed him at the side of the road next to sheep fencing and he scuttled through the fence.

I walked back to the car and one or two drivers went by issuing abuse at me, probably because I held them up.
One was tapping his finger at his head at me.

#me1wankers0

mrb123

sandyballs said:

Yep, my dachshund found one last night in the garden and started gobbing off at it, it did the obvious curl up and waited. Good size one too looked healthy.

What part of the country are you in Sandy?

sandyballs

Gloucester, weather has been quite mild recently less for high winds.

pinno

sandyballs said:

Gloucester, weather has been quite mild recently less for high winds.

Gloucester, better than 'Naam.

First.Aspect

We live next to a farm so we see: Badger. Fox. Occasional deer. Hare. Curlew. Lapwing. All manner of geese. Hedgehogs on the back step all of last summer.

mrb123

HOG ALERT!

Resumed feeding last night. Nothing was taken but tonight we've got 2 hogs in the garden taking food.

One larger one and a smaller one we believe to be one of last year's offspring.

First.Aspect

In our garden we spotted 1. A hedgehog 2. A badger.

We've chicken wired the gate. As much as I like any wildlife, the badger can get his fill of slugs and snails anywhere...

orraloon

Badger sees chicken wire. Badger says 'is that a cobweb?' Badger continues straight ahead.

I did a bit of work on a reserve, intent was to create an area habitat suitable for nightingales, so small trees being coppiced on a 9 year rotation. Fencing went in allround to limit animals other. 6 ft above ground, 2 ft underground, high tensile steel grid. For Mr Badger and fam, identified runs were given push through heavy swing doors as Mr B would have continued to batter away.

DeVlaeminck

I have seen hedgehogs in our garden but rarely - having dogs probably doesn't help.

I've always been reluctant to put out food for fear of attracting rats - I'm assuming rats would eat whatever a hedgehog would?

First.Aspect

orraloon said:

Badger sees chicken wire. Badger says 'is that a cobweb?' Badger continues straight ahead.

I did a bit of work on a reserve, intent was to create an area habitat suitable for nightingales, so small trees being coppiced on a 9 year rotation. Fencing went in allround to limit animals other. 6 ft above ground, 2 ft underground, high tensile steel grid. For Mr Badger and fam, identified runs were given push through heavy swing doors as Mr B would have continued to batter away.

Yeah it's not working. We have about 50m wall adjacent a field, plus other ways in. The wall is nice and high at one end, about 6 inches at the other (the field slopes). Even it we stopped it there it could find its way behind the wall at the other side through all the runs the cats have made, and just walk right in.

orraloon

Let Mr Badger do what he wants. Hard nut, ain't he. That serious fencing I mentioned was to keep out the bunnies but primarily the muntjac to stop them grazing the new shoots on the coppices. That worked. Badgers though... respect.

First.Aspect

orraloon said:

Let Mr Badger do what he wants. Hard nut, ain't he. That serious fencing I mentioned was to keep out the bunnies but primarily the muntjac to stop them grazing the new shoots on the coppices. That worked. Badgers though... respect.

What if I dug a moat?

pinno

First.Aspect said:

orraloon said:

Let Mr Badger do what he wants. Hard nut, ain't he. That serious fencing I mentioned was to keep out the bunnies but primarily the muntjac to stop them grazing the new shoots on the coppices. That worked. Badgers though... respect.

What if I dug a moat?

Do Badgers swim?

pangolin

pinno said:

First.Aspect said:

orraloon said:

Let Mr Badger do what he wants. Hard nut, ain't he. That serious fencing I mentioned was to keep out the bunnies but primarily the muntjac to stop them grazing the new shoots on the coppices. That worked. Badgers though... respect.

What if I dug a moat?

Do Badgers swim?

That's what the crocs are for

pinno

pangolin said:

pinno said:

First.Aspect said:

orraloon said:

Let Mr Badger do what he wants. Hard nut, ain't he. That serious fencing I mentioned was to keep out the bunnies but primarily the muntjac to stop them grazing the new shoots on the coppices. That worked. Badgers though... respect.

What if I dug a moat?

Do Badgers swim?

That's what the crocs are for

Fair point. He'll need a drawbridge.

First.Aspect

pinno said:

pangolin said:

pinno said:

First.Aspect said:

orraloon said:

Let Mr Badger do what he wants. Hard nut, ain't he. That serious fencing I mentioned was to keep out the bunnies but primarily the muntjac to stop them grazing the new shoots on the coppices. That worked. Badgers though... respect.

What if I dug a moat?

Do Badgers swim?

That's what the crocs are for

Fair point. He'll need a drawbridge.

I don't think you are taking this seriously enough. For the love of God think of the hoglets.

pinno

Sorry FA, won't do it again.

How about an electric fence 8" high?