Spike, the Hedgehog

[Catherine]

We have several nightly Hedgehog visits in summer, and I put out fresh water and some biscuit-type cat food for them.

This is Spike. He is still calling. Normally we know when he's around as he activates the security light at the side of the house. However that hasn't happened recently - even although the food has been taken each night.

On Monday or Tuesday there was no security light on, yet Spike was tucking into his food! So I watched.

After some food, a drink and then more food, he scuttled round to between the water butt and the barbecue - and disappeared! No light came on to signify he was making an exit from the garden - curious!

The next day we decided to put away the barbecue for winter, so I wheeled it out of its space - and there, below it, curled amongst a pile of dry leaves, was Spike! I hastily put the barbecue back in place. What to do now?

Well, we had some wood in the garage and my dear husband, Glen, decoded he would make Spike a better 'house', so set to work!

The wooden framework is covered with a large coir mat inside a heavy duty poly bag. On top of that a greenhouse tray is inverted, and on top of that are some pots of spring bulbs.

I hope Spike will like his new abode, and will actually hibernate there.

If he doesn't like the modernisation of his home, then maybe another Hedgehog will?

Well, Spike's pic didn't upload... It was too big

So I'll try again here.....

[rolf]

Well done Catherine, Nice photo story, I'm sure he'll love that. You can always throw a few more leaves on to keep him insulated at the side.

[Catherine]

He was out again tonight, Rolf, but I didn't see him go back to his 'bed' as he was taking too long traipsing around the garden.

I was going to add a few handfuls of leaves at the side, but all that were around today were soggy and wet. I might try to find a bundle of drier ones from below the leylandii at the weekend though. I understand it is going to be pretty chilly from Sunday night onwards!

(BTW, thanks for adding Spike's pic to the others on that post. I couldn't find how to add it after I'd posted originally!)

[ladylouise62]

What a swish pad he now has Mine is (I assume) still in the greenhouse under the remains of old bed stuffing. The greenhouse is missing a lot of the glass, but it has all the roof glass so is fairly dry. The stray cat also often sleeps there and I think that I have some leaf-cutter bees in the old plant pots.... it's a real centre of wildlife But I can't be sure they are there without disturbing them - I've not spotted them recently, and have seen a couple of dead bodies in the area over the summer..... I may just have a little poke about.

[pluckyfilly]

interesting read, I have a hedgehog visitor as well - we call ours hedgie I fed him and watched him every night, about a week after bonfire night he didnt reappear and I guess he was curled up asleep, I think of him often and hope he is ok. Look forward to seeing him again in the spring.

[ladylouise62]

I may not be seeing my 2 again. I did spot 2 small dead hedgies in the vicinity... which could have been mine. I certainly didn't spot them after that (although I only saw them occasionally anyway). I am so tempted to lift up the pile where they had been resting to check, but I don't want to disturb them.

[Catherine]

Not sure whether or not this is Spike, but we still have 2 or 3 Hedgehogs visiting us every night. I watched him trot down the garden from behind the 'pitstop'. He possibly sleeps in the very back corner below the conifer hedging. (I must try to check some time!)

Took the pic from an upstairs window, and the video from the conservatory door - holding the camera in one (shaky, sorry) hand! Unfortunately, the auto focus changed to favour the flowers, so I'll try to get a better pic some night soon! This was taken at about 9.35pm last night.

Crunching Hedgehog | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[rolf]

Excellent Catherine, haven't seen ours yet this year, although there are plentiful signs that they visit over night.

[ladylouise62]

Nice to see - I've seen one bit of hedgehog poo, but think that the 2 small spikies that lived in my garden last year both died (I saw 2 small bodies in the local streets and didn't see them in my garden again).

[pluckyfilly]

I had mail about Spike and recent events, I answered from my email but seemingly my reply never arrived. I have been in touch with the Hedgehog Preservation Society and they gave me quite a bit of interesting information on hedgehogs. I have 3 visit my garden, one evening I noticed one hog lying on its side and wondered if he was ill or even dead but after observing for a while I noticed hedgehog no.2 was pushing no.1 away and rolling him over and over, he froze for a few moments and once it appeared quiet and safe he made for the water bowl but no.1 pushed him again rolling him several times so that he/she was far enough away - when I mentioned this to the hedgehog preservation soc. they said hedgehogs are generally lone creatures but they will fight over readily available food to a point where blood is drawn. Apparently you cant tell which sex they are without turning them upside down which I didnt want to do and they advised against this anyway. I wondered if you could tell by size or variation in colour but the answer was NO - they only generally come out at night and not daytime, unless they are thirsty and mine looked healthy enough and was quite spry he was also feeding well so I wasnt worried about him but he did have a splash of white paint over his back. I do have a good daytime picture and lay on the grass beside our hedgehog to take the picture, he was unphased by my presence.

[ladylouise62]

3? Now that's just greedy
That's interesting to hear that they are lone creatures. I've experienced them often in my life and they've mostly been in multiples (although not necessarily together). The 2 in my garden last year were small so it sounds like they were siblings who would have parted later once they had grown up.

[pluckyfilly]

taken during daytime but he looked healthy enough so I wasnt worried about him/her

[Catherine]

It looks very healthy, Ann! We once had a very small Hedgehog out during one VERY hot day in Ayr. He was very healthy too, but seemed to be driven out by thirst - which I was told is often the case in such weather. I'm told that another reason you may see one out during daytime could be if it is a mother Hog, and needs fluids to create milk for her young.

I believe that you can easily see if an animal is healthy or not under such circumstances, and worry that some folks take their Hogs to a vets as they think it is ill - when they might actually be taking it away from its young.

[ladylouise62]

Maybe it was a mum who just wanted a breather away from her demanding brood