First Hedgehog

[Headfry]

Well at least poo! (my Friend calls it 'pog')

Found on the lawn this weekend and we can hear snuffles in the hedgehog box!
The leaves at in the entrance to the box have been moved aside....great news, but it is still early, plenty of time for the weather to turn cold again. Sigh!

[burnie]

It's not that early,but with the weather forecast lets hope it's ok

[Flummery]

Nice to hear from you again Headfry! Haven't heard any near here yet - we usually hear before we see hedgehogs. Got to be a good sign though eh?

[selfraising]

Oh I love hedgehogs. I made a big pile of leaves and sticks etc for them in the Autumn but sadly haven't seen any yet

[Plot17B]

I got a hedgehog house for xmas and waiting to put it out. Might prepare it this week. We have a resident 'hog and there's an old nest in the front garden. So the bought one will live in the back, I'm going to make one for the front (I'll be less miffed if it's nicked then!).
Thanks for the prompt HF!!
P17B

[Eco-Chic]

Many years ago, when I was still enslaved by the lawn, I watched mummy hedgehog crossing the lawn with two baby hedgehogs and taking them to the shelter of the (overgrown) border.

It's one of the sweetest things I've seen. I always leave a pile of leaves, stalks and twigs at the end of the garden in the hope that a hedgehog will nest in it overnight or overwinter.

[smallblueplanet]

Any chance of a picture of your hedgehog home HF? Sounds good, is it a des res?!

[BarleySugar]

WE saw a young one in our garden last year, but it didn't stay. I think with the concrete and astro turf either side, and the cark park, there probably isn't enough territory for one to support itself.

[Headfry]

Hi,

Funny thing is I saved up and bought a des res hog box last Autumn it even has a felt roof that you can open- great for cleaning out the box! but.....many years ago my Sis and her Hubby bought me one that looks like a little half barrel on its side- it was beautiful and made of oak! Over the 10 years it has fallen into bad repair, I dug it out in the autumn, put it buy the greenhouse in the jobs queue. within a week or two a hog had moved in!!!! we could hear it snuffling about in the box - a gathered up dry leaves to put inside and Mr HF put a felt roof on it - I think it has been used over this winter. Not so sure about the snazzy new box though? Thing is - this old box is right (about a foot) where the cars park and we walk past so it is one of the busiest parts of the garden and really quite open.

TOP TIP from HF

gently place leaves or a small twig across the enterance so if anything passes in or out the leaves/twig will get pushed aside! cheap way of telling if your box has been visited.

The leaves in my box were tunneled through again this morning!

I just love hedgehogs......Tiggywinkles site has some great info- well worth a look

Hi Flummery and SBP will try a take pics and post over the weekend

Roll on summer!

[Eyren]

Cool! I saw hedgehogs in my garden last summer, but didn't get my act together re nest sites. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed they come back!

Evening stroll (Small Plot? No Problem!)

[Digger-07]

The dogs found one on the lawn last night. It turned out quite cold with frost on the car this morning so I hope the hog found somewhere to stay warm.

When I built the new shed I made sure that it was well off the ground so that wild life could get underneath so I hope they find the space and wait for the hoards of slugs that we had last year to reappear.

Found out my daughter has been a "foster home" for tiny hogs over the winter. She is preparing to set hers free but says she will wait a bit until the hard frosts are over.

[Headfry]

Well.....we SAW our little hedgehog last night! it came to the feeder.......have to say, after this really cold winter, Mr HF and I got a little choked up at the site of our rather small visitor knowing that it (so far) survived all those freezing night time temps we had here in Oxfordshire last month awww bless......... and fingers crossed big time.

[blackkitty]

Six years ago when we moved into our house we had loads of hedgehogs and a nest under our decking. Since then, not a solitary one. we also got given a very posh hedgehog home for Christmas so we've put it out where its concealed in the shrubbery and we're hoping for a resident. OH has suggested a vacancies this way sign in the fields at the back.

[kentvegplot]

I saw the first one last week (Wednesday) but it seemed rather small. I rushed in to get some cat food and put it down where the hog was snuffling through the leaves. He/she found it in no time, and wasn't bothered about me standing right beside while it fed. I do hope it has somewhere warm to hole up in the cold nights.

BTW found an empty hedgehog 'skin' over the winter on our lawn. I thought only badgers could break into the prickles... and I didn't think we had a brock.....

[Headfry]

Glad you have seen a hog! but please all, remember no 'fishy' cat food, the meat ones are fine!