Oh go on, you know you CAN be a softie if you try. They only need a quick kennel and some scraps
"The Night Visitor"
- Thread starter Sean Regan
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Oh go on, you know you CAN be a softie if you try. They only need a quick kennel and some scraps
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I added some protection to the far house. I'm gonna call it the "B house" and the one under the azaleas next to the patio the "A house."
Just some short stakes and some wire. I couldn't make a proper job of it as I didn't want to be doing a lot of banging down there so I just pushed the stakes in by hand and attached some wire to them.
This was enough to deter the fox, that had a look, then went away.
Having thought there was just the one hedgehog, two turned up last night. You can just see them at the bottom of the screen, in this snip off one of the videos.
The second hedgehog seems to have a bit of a limp so I'm calling him "Stumpy" after Walter Brennan in Rio Bravo.
There was activity outside both houses, more ins and outs at the B house, that many you'd think it was a hedgehog knocking shop.
Hettie is still finding old pellets outside the A house, so I'll put some more down but without a "collectable" china dish. There's several videos of her but she doesn't appear to have gone in, or maybe the camera just didn't pick her up.
Just some short stakes and some wire. I couldn't make a proper job of it as I didn't want to be doing a lot of banging down there so I just pushed the stakes in by hand and attached some wire to them.
This was enough to deter the fox, that had a look, then went away.
Having thought there was just the one hedgehog, two turned up last night. You can just see them at the bottom of the screen, in this snip off one of the videos.
The second hedgehog seems to have a bit of a limp so I'm calling him "Stumpy" after Walter Brennan in Rio Bravo.
There was activity outside both houses, more ins and outs at the B house, that many you'd think it was a hedgehog knocking shop.
Hettie is still finding old pellets outside the A house, so I'll put some more down but without a "collectable" china dish. There's several videos of her but she doesn't appear to have gone in, or maybe the camera just didn't pick her up.
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There was a bit of a confrontation last night that lasted about half an hour, the two hedgehogs had a bit of a "face off" outside house B. Hettie on the left Stumpy on the right. No physical contact, just a lot of circling around.
"Bed time" for Hettie was at 4.11am.
Stumpy spent quite a bit of time outside house A, eating the pellets I'd scattered on the house's patio.
He disappeared inside at 4.39am.
He was in and out of the other house when Hettie wasn't there. I think he'd rather have that one but Hettie won't wear it.
There were no foxes but this cat came for a look early in the morning but couldn't get near either entrance.
As there was so much activity outside this house, I'm going to move the camera back to capture more of it.
"Bed time" for Hettie was at 4.11am.
Stumpy spent quite a bit of time outside house A, eating the pellets I'd scattered on the house's patio.
He disappeared inside at 4.39am.
He was in and out of the other house when Hettie wasn't there. I think he'd rather have that one but Hettie won't wear it.
There were no foxes but this cat came for a look early in the morning but couldn't get near either entrance.
As there was so much activity outside this house, I'm going to move the camera back to capture more of it.
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Hettie made an early appearance outside the original house at 9.29pm last night as it was still light.
She disappeared around 9.50 pm.
She next appeared at 1.50am when she had a confrontation with the new hedgehogs, "harsh words were exchanged" and there was a lot of face to face circling on and off for about half an hour and at one point she had him backed up in a corner.
Meanwhile, at the other house.... The other hedgehog appeared at half past nine and was in and out for several hours, with big gaps in between.
There's food and water close to both houses, so why there's this squabbling I've no idea.
No cats or foxes appeared on camera.
She disappeared around 9.50 pm.
She next appeared at 1.50am when she had a confrontation with the new hedgehogs, "harsh words were exchanged" and there was a lot of face to face circling on and off for about half an hour and at one point she had him backed up in a corner.
Meanwhile, at the other house.... The other hedgehog appeared at half past nine and was in and out for several hours, with big gaps in between.
There's food and water close to both houses, so why there's this squabbling I've no idea.
No cats or foxes appeared on camera.
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Hedgehogs are pretty territorial and will not tolerate others on 'Their patch', even if there is plenty of food to go around. More so the males than females as I understand, a bit like humans
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There were no "close encounters of any kind" last night, nor visits from cats or foxes.
The first thing stumpy did when he came out last night, was have a long drink.
I always make sure there's fresh water available near both houses every evening.
It was difficult to tell them apart last night, as the marks on Hettie's spines of her rear end have disappeared.
There are still two hedgehogs, as it's possible to put both camera files up on the screen. The clocks are synchronised on both cameras.
It's therefore possible to compare the times the photos/videos were taken.
Although none exactly matched, there were two within 2 minutes of each other. In both, neither hedgehog were about to enter a "twenty yard dash." So although hedgehogs can be surprisingly speedy. They aren't that quick.
The first thing stumpy did when he came out last night, was have a long drink.
I always make sure there's fresh water available near both houses every evening.
It was difficult to tell them apart last night, as the marks on Hettie's spines of her rear end have disappeared.
There are still two hedgehogs, as it's possible to put both camera files up on the screen. The clocks are synchronised on both cameras.
It's therefore possible to compare the times the photos/videos were taken.
Although none exactly matched, there were two within 2 minutes of each other. In both, neither hedgehog were about to enter a "twenty yard dash." So although hedgehogs can be surprisingly speedy. They aren't that quick.
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When I retrieved the cards from Camera B (the summer house) this morning, I noticed all the water had gone as was the food.
Hardly surprising as the first drinker was the pesky cat. at 22.51pm.
Followed by Stumpy. at 23.59pm
Followed by the fox 12.21am
Followed by the cat again at 1.42am
Followed by Stumpy at 2.54 am. There wasn't much left.
The visitors didn't seem to bother Stumpy as he was out and about for most of the night and ate all his dinner which neither the cat nor the fox can get at.
He retired at 4.07am
Meanwhile, "elsewhere."
Hettie made her first appearance at 11.47pm and ate some of her loose pellets.
Then an unwelcome visitor
He ate what pellets he could find. He was only there for a couple of minutes around 12.21am
Hettie returned from wherever, at 2.32 am.
She managed to find more pellets, was round and about for a few hours and must have retired at and finally retired at 3.24am.
I'm going to have to put more water out. I know this may encourage more visits from "the gang," it's not surprising they are looking for "easy access" water in this weather. (But the sodding cat could go home) There's plenty in the two bird baths and fountain.
I'm also going to put a brick on top of Hettie's house as that has a larger roof that fits like a box lid over the other and the fox wobbled it a bit.
There have been no confrontations recorded between either hedgehogs or the visitors. They've never appeared together in any video.
Hardly surprising as the first drinker was the pesky cat. at 22.51pm.
Followed by Stumpy. at 23.59pm
Followed by the fox 12.21am
Followed by the cat again at 1.42am
Followed by Stumpy at 2.54 am. There wasn't much left.
The visitors didn't seem to bother Stumpy as he was out and about for most of the night and ate all his dinner which neither the cat nor the fox can get at.
He retired at 4.07am
Meanwhile, "elsewhere."
Hettie made her first appearance at 11.47pm and ate some of her loose pellets.
Then an unwelcome visitor
He ate what pellets he could find. He was only there for a couple of minutes around 12.21am
Hettie returned from wherever, at 2.32 am.
She managed to find more pellets, was round and about for a few hours and must have retired at and finally retired at 3.24am.
I'm going to have to put more water out. I know this may encourage more visits from "the gang," it's not surprising they are looking for "easy access" water in this weather. (But the sodding cat could go home) There's plenty in the two bird baths and fountain.
I'm also going to put a brick on top of Hettie's house as that has a larger roof that fits like a box lid over the other and the fox wobbled it a bit.
There have been no confrontations recorded between either hedgehogs or the visitors. They've never appeared together in any video.
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Nothing much happened last night, both hedgehogs were active.
The only visitor was "Cyril the Squirrel," to Stumpie's water bowl. Though, it might have been Cyd, his partner, but there was no "flashing of teats," so I can't be sure. They usually drink from the fountain, I changed the water last night
The only visitor was "Cyril the Squirrel," to Stumpie's water bowl. Though, it might have been Cyd, his partner, but there was no "flashing of teats," so I can't be sure. They usually drink from the fountain, I changed the water last night
That's awesome! Another hedgehog visit sounds like a real treat. It's great that you had a camera facing the hedgehog house to capture its movements. From the video and still image, it seems like it was on a mission, probably headed towards the birds' feeding tray. And hey, kudos on building the fence in a way that only a clever hedgehog could find its way through. Leaving things as they are and letting it come and go as it pleases sounds like the right move.
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Squirrels, hedgehogs, foxes, cats, your garden is like Piccadilly circus, when are the martens, water voles, and coypus going to turn up?
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I'm pretty sure the huge deluge we had yesterday evening restricted both hedgehogs' movements.
The previous evening Stumpy only ate a few of his pellets, probably shopping for Vegan or organic produce.
But last night he was mostly in and out of his house for five hours, more frequently than a teenager would be with a bag of crisps. He cleared his food bowl.
As you'll see, the ground was very wet.
Hettie was only out to eat her food between 3-00am and 4.30am, when she called it a night.
The ground would probably been a lot wetter around her house, but I made it high enough to ensure there would be no flooding.
The previous evening Stumpy only ate a few of his pellets, probably shopping for Vegan or organic produce.
But last night he was mostly in and out of his house for five hours, more frequently than a teenager would be with a bag of crisps. He cleared his food bowl.
As you'll see, the ground was very wet.
Hettie was only out to eat her food between 3-00am and 4.30am, when she called it a night.
The ground would probably been a lot wetter around her house, but I made it high enough to ensure there would be no flooding.
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Not a lot to report other than the fact that Hettie obviously has been feeling the heat, so she's taken the duvet off her bed..Well, the hedgehog equivalent, she's chucked out some hay.
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With only two cameras it's impossible to check on what these two get up to in between sightings.
For example, Hettie triggered the camera fourteen times between midnight and 4.00am.
Many of the activations were within minutes of each other but there are gaps of more than an hour. It's much the same for Stumpy.
They must patrol the garden and possibly go next door. They have left poo on the rose patio, so I know they go on there. There actually is this flattened trail the width of a hedgehog through the phlox at the top end of the rockery, where they must come off the far end of the patio, up to the rocks which were at the head of the old koi pool waterfall, to get to the back of the long border beyond one of the lanterns. Looking no doubt, for some tasty creepy crawlies.
For example, Hettie triggered the camera fourteen times between midnight and 4.00am.
Many of the activations were within minutes of each other but there are gaps of more than an hour. It's much the same for Stumpy.
They must patrol the garden and possibly go next door. They have left poo on the rose patio, so I know they go on there. There actually is this flattened trail the width of a hedgehog through the phlox at the top end of the rockery, where they must come off the far end of the patio, up to the rocks which were at the head of the old koi pool waterfall, to get to the back of the long border beyond one of the lanterns. Looking no doubt, for some tasty creepy crawlies.
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We had a surprise last night. Hettie came right up to the French windows around midnight, walking along the top step. Maybe there might have been a few creepy crawlies hiding around the pots on the steps.
The fox got into the enclosure again. Hettie just ignored him and carried on eating her pellets. There was nothing for him so he got no further than this and went.
She had another confrontation with Stumpy down at the bottom of the garden. Very similar to previous ones, circling each other whilst making grunting noises. Maybe this is a hedgehog ritual?
I put two water dishes out for Stumpy.
He finished one before starting on the other.
To use a football term, I think Stumpy may be guilty of "Simulation."
In some videos he seems to be limping quite badly, in others, he doesn't limp at all.
The fox got into the enclosure again. Hettie just ignored him and carried on eating her pellets. There was nothing for him so he got no further than this and went.
She had another confrontation with Stumpy down at the bottom of the garden. Very similar to previous ones, circling each other whilst making grunting noises. Maybe this is a hedgehog ritual?
I put two water dishes out for Stumpy.
He finished one before starting on the other.
To use a football term, I think Stumpy may be guilty of "Simulation."
In some videos he seems to be limping quite badly, in others, he doesn't limp at all.