"The Night Visitor"

[Sean Regan]

It was quite busy last night, both Hettie

and Stripe

Made several appearances.

As did Chucky, once.

and the pesky cat the same.

There were no confrontations and the hedgehogs were round and about after the visitors had gone. Neither the cat nor the fox were able to get at the food.

I've altered the settings on the camera. I've reduced the length of the videos from 15s to 10s.
This has made the files small enough to e-mail.

I've also reduced the time the camera is "off" between videos, from 15s to 7s.
As quite a bit could be happening between each.


I've started putting food in a black plastic tray under the canopy of the original house, rather than leave it loose outside. It's being eaten each night.

I've had no recordings from that camera for two days. I've checked the file but that's OK.

I've also checked the camera but that isn't. Might not have helped that I dropped it the other day, never mind, I've ordered another one.

 

[Sean Regan]

Hettie made just five visits to the water bowls between 11.20pm and 3-00am last night.

There were big gaps in between. Half the food at this house was eaten and all at the other one.

There's hedgehog poo on the patios, so the whole garden gets patrolled. I imagine they spend a lot of time next door. This may change, as although that garden is completely neglected apart from the grass, I won't say lawn, being cut occasionally, the house is due to be renovated and extended later in the year. So the "jungle" at the bottom of that garden, ideal for hedgehogs, will probably go.

 

[Sean Regan]

No activity to report as one camera was faulty and the one at the bottom of the garden, I'd set so it would only pick up "very tall hedgehogs." I've since altered the angle.

Although the food is being eaten, presently, neither house is occupied. I would imagine they prefer to pass the day under the "jungle" at the back of next door's garden, where it will be in the shade of a tall tree and the back fence and they'll benefit from any breeze.

I took the opportunity of putting a purpose-made top of plywood over this house, rather than the bits of wood I had been using. This will keep any rain from dripping into the passageway to the house. It needed painting because it'd soon delaminate if it weren't. The brick will stop foxes trying to shift it.

The new camera arrived whilst I was at golf this morning, so we're all up and running now.

 

[Sean Regan]

Chucky made another early attempt to get through the fence last night, but was unsuccessful.

Food consumed in several visits but a rather portly hedgehog.

"Bert" the blackbird, was a late, or should I say early arrival got none, although there is always bird food in a large pot saucer further to the left.

 

[Sean Regan]

This is a snip from a video from the new camera of Hettie making an early visit for a drink.

Spike arrived much later.

 

[Sean Regan]

Not a lot happening, at either house, there's been "no domestics" at all.

Food and water has been consumed and drunk in both locations.

A bit a problem here, as the station is being frequented by slugs. For those unaware hedgehogs seem to like proprietary brand hedgehog pellets and not slugs and you can't blame them.

So I spent half an hour this afternoon making a new small pest-proof feeder out of an inverted plastic fat ball container.
The old one we had was "hanging" and far too big. The bowl is stainless steel and I bolted it to the base, (the lid of the box).

I made the usual tunnel out of a couple bricks and some spare roof slates.

 

[Sean Regan]

I managed to get a video of Hettie using the new feeder. It's taken her a couple of days to get used to it.
The advantage is that she can see the food through the plastic and the entrance is a tunnel like the other house.
She makes a complete tour of the station before going in. She cleared all the food.