The Night Visitor

[Sheal]

I think Hettie's trying to keep you on your toes Sean.

 

[Sean Regan]

Good evening!

I'm just coming in for about half an hour to have a check around, then I'll be going.

Bye!

 

[Sean Regan]

It's all gone a bit quiet again. There were longer visits between Thursday and Saturday and some of the food got eaten.
But last night no food went.
Another short visit.
Last night...in at 3.12 am.

Out at 3.30am.

That was nearly six hours later than last time. It may be that she's finding food elsewhere. They can travel quite long distances at night, so she could have gone down next door's drive and across the road to other gardens. She always turns left when she goes out of our garden. The Chinese workmen who are billeted next door, don't do any gardening, just cut the grass occasionally. Both their side garage and shed doors are always left open as there's only junk in there, left by the previous owners. Maybe she has a second home in there.
I'm not really bothered. I'll keep putting the food out and make sure access to both hedgehog houses is kept clear of fallen leaves. She may not hibernate in our garden. There's likely to be other hedgehogs about, if not this year, in the spring.

 

[Sean Regan]

"Where have you gone? Was it something I said?"

 

[Sean Regan]

Hettie isn't as daft as you might think. She's learned after quite some time, that if when she wants a drink, if she puts her feet on the front of the bowl it will tip up and empty the contents over her. So no drink! Now she just gets her front feet as close to the bowl as she can so she can reach the water. That's not to say she won't then tread in it when she goes away.

 

[Sean Regan]

I've always suspected there might be two hedgehogs, but the closest I've seen the recorded times on the two cameras which are at opposite ends of the garden, is three minutes.
I was of the opinion that sometimes the hedgehog doesn't activate the cameras, their thick layer of bristles and fur not transmitting enough heat. Although the mouse with hardly any fur does.
But the cameras next to the hole in the fence, picks up a lot of "ins" followed by an "out."
So if I assume it collects up all movements, the record last night between 9.00pm and 6.00 am. was


In

out
in
in
out
out
in
out
in
out

So at least two hedgehogs.

 

[Nili]

I've always suspected there might be two hedgehogs, but the closest I've seen the recorded times on the two cameras which are at opposite ends of the garden, is three minutes.
I was of the opinion that sometimes the hedgehog doesn't activate the cameras, their thick layer of bristles and fur not transmitting enough heat. Although the mouse with hardly any fur does.
But the cameras next to the hole in the fence, picks up a lot of "ins" followed by an "out."
So if I assume it collects up all movements, the record last night between 9.00pm and 6.00 am. was


In

View attachment 100579

out
in
in
out
out
in
out
in
out

So at least two hedgehogs.

This way too interesting! May be they have little ones to feed

 

[Nili]

The doorway in the side fence is regularly used by the hedgehogs and Marcel the field mouse.
The fox and the cat have looked through it.

View attachment 99729


View attachment 99728

But last night the camera caught this.

View attachment 99724

View attachment 99726

View attachment 99725

I decided I wasn't having that. I can't stop cats getting in our garden, but I'll be blowed if I'm going to make it easy for them. This one will have to scale the six-foot fences like any other cat or the fox.

I raised the threshold of the doorway, so now it's just 4.5" high and wide, which will only allow hedgehogs and the mouse through.

View attachment 99727

The cat managed her butt through

 

[Sean Regan]

Nothing's easy, is it?
The squirrels have their own feeder on a pergola post. But I've started putting a few peanuts in with the hedgehogs' food. But today, the squirrels have found them, been in, taken the peanuts, but left the hedgehog and suet pellets. So I'll as I did tonight, leave putting out their food until it gets dark.

 

[Sean Regan]

I've not noticed this before, as I was concentrating more on finding similar captures at the same time on both cameras. But there's a pattern emerging, the activity last night was the same as that of the night before, except for the times.
It was the same the previous night!

Last night

In 9.15pm
Out 10.30pm
In 11.00pm
Out 12.33pm
In 12.56am
In 2.33am
Out 3.49am
Out 4.11am
In 6.12am
Out 6.38am.
It would appear that the two are keeping their distance, maybe deciding that building up fat reserves for hibernation is better than squabbling over territory.
There's an in and out fairly early in the morning two or three hours after the last "out" on all three nights, which brings up the possibility of maybe a third?

 

[Nili]

I've not noticed this before, as I was concentrating more on finding similar captures at the same time on both cameras. But there's a pattern emerging, the activity last night was the same as that of the night before, except for the times.
It was the same the previous night!

Last night

In 9.15pm
Out 10.30pm
In 11.00pm
Out 12.33pm
In 12.56am
In 2.33am
Out 3.49am
Out 4.11am
In 6.12am
Out 6.38am.
It would appear that the two are keeping their distance, maybe deciding that building up fat reserves for hibernation is better than squabbling over territory.
There's an in and out fairly early in the morning two or three hours after the last "out" on all three nights, which brings up the possibility of maybe a third?

Woah, a third

 

[Sean Regan]

We're nearly half-way through November and there's still a bit of activity over several hours but fewer "comings and goings."

This can't last for much longer as it's getting colder.

 

[Sheal]

Have you seen much activity around their houses Sean? As if they're getting ready for hibernation?

 

[Sean Regan]

Have you seen much activity around their houses Sean? As if they're getting ready for hibernation?

They aren't using either of the hedgehog houses.
At the moment the house next door has an uncared for garden, very overgrown and has a shed where the door is left permanently open. They must have a home somewhere in that garden as they always exit ours, before dawn. They are still eating the food I leave out, slightly moist hedgehog pellets and peanuts.

 

[Sheal]

It seems they're making the most of the food you put out but choose to sleep elsewhere. That's crafty!