Wendy is released

Wendy is being released into the wild tonight. I've left her box in a little hidden area down the bottom of the garden and have removed the door so that she can emerge at her leisure. I've been shooting video footage and have some lovely shots of her at Spikes Sanctuary (such as the above still), but I'll wait to see if we get any infra-red footage tonight of her emerging from the box and will post the video tomorrow.

Here's the video evidence that we have a hedgehog visiting

Here's the first video evidence that we have a hedgehog visiting our garden this year here in Pembrokeshire, Wales. We're shortly going to release Wendy, an autumn juvenile from 2011 who went into Spike's Sanctuary hedgehog hospital for overwintering because she was not big enough to survive hibernation - and I really wanted to check that there were other hedgehogs here first before releasing her back into the wild.

Sorry for the quality of the video. It seems that every year when I get the trail camera out, I forget how the infra-red totally whitewashes the picture.

Good News!

At approx 9:30 tonight I spied a hedgehog in the garden at the waterbowl (also where I'd scattered a few mealworms). I was beginning to think we'd get no hedgehog visitors this years. Photos to follow (hopefully)...

An Adder at Poppit Sands, Pembrokeshire

We all know that adders like to live in sand dunes, but it's rare you get to actually see one. This particular adder was crossing the path leading up to the wooden-decked footpath running alongside Poppit life boat station. I was lucky that I just so happened to have my camera on my at the time. The snake didn't hang around too long to be photographed, and slithered into the long grass of the dunes pretty sharpish.

In other news, I have been putting out some food for the hedgehogs down the bottom of the garden. Something - or several somethings - have been eating it, but I am not 100% certain that it's hedgehogs as yet. I believe they are very late in coming out of hibernation this year what with the weather conditions we've been having. Mary at Spike's Sanctuary in nearby Clunderwen says that Wendy is only just coming out of hibernation now and that we can have her back to let loose down the end of the garden soon-ish. I would like to be certain there are some other hedgehog companions for her before we have her back though!

Wendy News!

I received the following email this morning from Mary Lane at Spikes Sanctuary in Clunderwen:

Hi Gavin

Many thanks for the most beautiful card. Wendy is snoring her head off, as she weighs so much now and is fit and healthy, I have let her hibernate - although, typical Wendy she wakes up for the odd 'snack'!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Best wishes

Mary

Check those bonfires for nesting hedgehogs, please!

There's a picture of me with Wendy the little hog I rescued recently in this week's edition of the Western Telegraph! It's not the most flattering picture of me (I'd just come in from some really ghastly weather outside and am looking somewhat "windswept". Oh well, it's a nice pic of Wendy, anyway.)

The piece in the paper is asking people to check their bonfires for hedgehogs before lighting them, something I feel that needs national exposure. The idea of poor hedgehogs being burnt alive is just too horrible to think about.

The little hog goes to Spike's Sanctuary

The little hog was so lively throughout the night that I didn't have much sleep; I was overly worried and kept checking on her (yes, it turns out she is a girl) at regular intervals. She made a right mess of the pet carrier box I'd put her in, and managed to drag her bedding into the water bowl, to rip up the newspaper at the bottom of the box, splash water over it and make it into a mushy pulp, and also she seemed to be quite adept at sitting in her water bowl.

In the morning we braved the terrible weather and drove out to Clynderwen and left her in the capable hands of Mary Lane at Spike's Sanctuary. It was a pleasure to meet Mary, a lady who is so devoted to these beautiful creatures and who does so much to help this now endangered species.

Mary has asked me if I'd like to name the little hedgehog, who apparently has been eating well tonight. I'm afraid my mind is a blank at the moment. Any suggestions?

It's Autumn Juvenile time again!

I've got an autumn juvenile that I just brought in. He weighs in at approx 470g when he should be at least 600g to survive hibernation.

He's currently safe in a pet carrier box with towels for warmth, a bowl of dogfood and another of water. The box has been placed in a warm, dark room. When I checked on him just now he was sleeping.

I'm planning on taking him in to a local rescue centre tomorrow.  Sorry, no photos as yet (I've left my camera out in the car).

Nearly hibernation time

Sorry, no pictures, but I saw a hedgehog tonight eating the mealworms I'd put down in the garden. I was beginning to wonder if they had started hibernation already and perhaps the birds were eating the mealworms. So, I think I'll continue putting food out for a while at least.

Sorry for the long break in posting...

...unfortunately my trail camera has been giving me nothing but trouble and I haven't been able to use it at all. But I have been feeding the hogs each and every night, although I rarely see them these days. It's not like when I was in Oxfordshire and the hogs came right up onto the patio and I could view them through the window. The hogs here are very shy and rarely venture further than the very bottom of the garden.

I just went outside a few minutes ago and photographed this small-ish hog. It's not the best picture, I know, but I just thought it was about time I updated this blog.