Tonight I finally managed to get some photos of our visiting hedgehog. However, now I am wondering if we perhaps have two hedgehogs visiting as on one visit it looked slightly smaller!
The photos above were taken, in two separate visits, in my garden between 10-11pm on September 3rd 2007.
What a treat to see these pics of hedgehogs. Thanks Shirl. I have several in my garden too and they are my bestest friends because they eat many slugs!
Hi again, Yolanda
I was thrilled to get these pics. Yes, they are the gardener’s friend aren’t they ๐
I love seeing the Hedgehog in action! They are such a curious little creature and, who knew that they would love peanuts! What is their usual diet in the wild?
Hi again, Layanee
It was great to watch this action through a window and catching it on video was a bonus ๐
For many years people in UK gardens have put out peanuts in hanging feeders for the birds. Many are likely to drop down to the ground and perhaps the hedgehog discovered a taste for them that way. In the wild their diet is more likely to be beetles, caterpillars and earthworms.
I feed the hogs I rehabilitate (and my resident hog Basil, who’s had so much treatment for various things that he’s very tame so I can’t release him) on dry cat food and cooked chicken, with other foods as a treat.
The chicken always goes down very well!
Yay, well done, he didn’t run off this time then.
I wish I had a hedgehog here to eat my beetles and slugs. Great pictures!
A .. they’re so cute!
Hi again, Jan and Robin and Hello Anna and Cyndi. Thanks to you all for your comments ๐
Anna โ yes, I had read that cat food goes down well with hedgehogs โ but I never knew about cooked chicken but I suppose that could also be a favourite for the cats. As I am trying to discourage cats from my garden (they are killing the birds) I would rather not put any out for the hedgehogs ๐ However, if some very young hedgehogs did come along to my feeding station I may consider both to help it survive the winter โ thanks for passing on the info. I was interested to read that you rehabilitate hedgehogs โ am I guessing correctly that you are a volunteer?
Jan, I was thrilled! Although, it did run off between photo sessions – typical ๐
Robin, they are known here as the gardenerโs friend โ you can understand why. Perhaps you have other friends in the USA that could do the same job? Thanks, as I said above I was thrilled with the pics ๐
Cyndi, they are arenโt they! The funny thing is that I didnโt expect them to be โ this has been the first time I have seen them close up. I would almost go as far to say, with the magnificent ruff around the head, that they are quite handsome ๐
A few weeks ago we also discovered a very noisy hedgehog in our open garage. Now it must be a family, according to their “voices”. I wonder whether they will stay there over winter or move to the garden where we usually have several hedgehogs.
must have been amazing to be so close to this lovely creature. Thanks for sharing these photos and giving us a glimpse of an animal we rarely see.
Sara from farmingfriends
Hi again, Barbara
How fantastic! Sorry โ Iโm assuming you are happy with them in your garage in Switzerland ๐ I hope you donโt mind but I have a quite a few questions for you now!
Are their concerns over hedgehog numbers in Switzerland too?
Is this the first time you have had them in your garage and do you know exactly where they are?
Have you seen their nest โ if so what was it made with?
Have you actually seen any young this time or at any other time in your garden?
For how many years have you had hedgehogs hibernate in your garden and do you know which area they stay in?
Do you put out food for them at this time of year to help them with hibernation?
I would guess that they would probably like to stay in your garage over winter โ Iโve heard of them in sheds. Thank-you for sharing your story of visiting hedgehogs ๐
Hi again, Sara
It has been amazing to see and be so close to a hedgehog. I was delighted to be able to share this experience with photos and videos.
Last night, I had the video out postioned very low down on my tripod but alas no joy catching the hedgehog as it visited after 11.10pm. However I did have another visitor interested in a peanut and it was not a mouse as Jan gets either!
You will never believe it! A snail (without shell) was turning around a peanut that had no skin on it. I videoed this action which was quite creepy as I did wonder if like a snake it could take it in whole! Lol โ it didnโt that I saw ๐
Fabulous pictures. What a beauty.
Hi again, OC
Thanks, it is a beauty isn’t it. I have never seen a hedgehog that close so it was quite a treat ๐
BTW are you a gardener that likes ornamental grasses? If so pop by later tomorrow as I am planning a post that might be of interest to you ๐