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29 August 2008

My Garden Visitors


I never told you guys about my garden visitors. Very remiss of me. Well about 2 weeks ago I was doing some weeding and heard some rustling that wasn't caused by me under a bush beneath my kitchen window. It was very difficult to see what was making the noise but eventually I saw a hedgehog curled up in the leaf litter. As I looked a couple of tiny heads appeared. The babies were trying to suckle which was what was causing the noise. I didn't disturb them but left some food out for them overnight. The next morning most of the food had gone and they were tightly curled up asleep. When I took Brac out for his walk just before lunch I again heard the rustling from the bush. I looked in and saw all the babies were on walk-about while mum was still trying to get some sleep. I counted 6 but it was hard to see for sure if that was all because of the dense foliage they were under. They seemed totally unconcerned about me so I picked this little chappie or chapess up to get a photo.
After I returned from my walk I checked in on them again. They were all back in the nest deeply asleep again.
They were about 1/3rd grown at this time.
After about 4 or 5 days they suddenly disappeared. I had no idea where they went but hoped they were safe and hadn't got themselves run over which is the normal hedgehog demise. Then, last night I was watching TV when I heard some very odd noises in the garden. Brac got concerned too so I switched of the telly and listened. The noises stopped. I continued watching telly and they started up again. I went to the French windows and turned the lights on the patio. There was mum hedgehog and she was making the most peculiar noise. It was loud and the effort she was putting into it made her look like she was convulsing. I opened the door and stepped out. She stopped the noise and frose. I took a few photos and then went looking for the babies who from the rustling noises seemed to be at the other side of the lawn. I located two. when I returned to mum she had resumed her chorus. I recorded some of it and you can hear this by going to my Utube site here Audio of hedgehog calling
Here is mum rolled up in a ball. My hand is there to give you some idea of her size.
Here is one of the babies. Grown a little in the last couple of weeks.

3 comments:

A Margarita said...

Oh, if only I could hear some rustling in the bushes and have it be cute hedgehogs. Rustling in the bushes in the city usually means the rabid, feral squirrels are fighting over something.

Miriam said...

Oh my goodness they're so cute!

And ps...I've known you were British for, you know, ever but I was still very shocked by your voice! It's weird to put a voice to the words I've read for so long :)

http://lspoon.wordpress.com

Sally T said...

That's partly because I've got a weird voice :-))