Forgot

[cybermule]

The first night at Cornwall there was really weird fog - silvery, and mostly on the north half of the peninsula. The second night, I went swimming at sunset, and it was amazing. Need to get one more sea swim in this year.

Also, I have hedgehogs in my front garden. I heard something making a weird rasping noise in the middle of the night and tracked it down to two hedgehogs rootling in the mulch in my front border. Explains why the hostas in the front are strangely unscathed.

Comments

[ninneviane.livejournal.com]

Yes that would and **yay** for Hedgehogs! You are so, so lucky...I'm pretty sure we haven't got any. Logically we should, but I'm pretty sure I'd have seen the signs by now and I haven't :(

Sunset swimming eh - have you forgotten Jaws??? :D

[cybermule.livejournal.com]

LOL - I was more worried about whether the smokestacks on the other side of the bay were leaking. Other than that, it was magical.

Is there anything I can do to make the hedgehogs feel more at home? Where do they live?

[ninneviane.livejournal.com]

Ahhhh yes, lots and lots. Hedgehogs are territorial creatures so chances are, if it can access them your hedgehogs will be using several gardens adjacent to you and may even travel further a field, but I suspect not if the pickings are good in the near vicinity.

It's nest will be in one of the gardens in all likelihood - probably in an undisturbed part of the garden - behind/under a shed, compost area, under a pile of logs or undisturbed garden rubbish, in a nice thick hedge etc. If you have any areas like this in your garden it will encourage them to set up home there, but if they're comfy somewhere else, they probably won't unless they're disturbed or setting up home for the first time. They like over-run gardens, especially those with nettles, wild areas and plenty of cover.

They visit all over their territory every night on the mission for food! Plants that attract caterpillars and beetles are winners! Whilst hedgehogs do eat slugs & worms they only account for something like 4-8% of their diet and they will usually eat them only if their favourite foods (caterpillars and beetles) aren't available. They LOVE dog or cat food, especially chicken flavours. You could leave some out in a shallow dish a sunset (but don't forget to pick it back up in the morning if it hasn't been eaten - fly maggots are bad news for hedgehogs) or buy some of the dried speciality hedgehog food. NEVER put down bread and milk - they're lactose intolerant, and the mixture will make them really ill (chronic shits) and give them no nutrition whatsoever. If you put down fluids, a shallow dish of plain tap water will suffice - a couple could be left around the garden in quiet areas, especially when the weathers warm. Hedgehogs can soon become dependant on this extra feeding however, so bear that in mind - the advice varies - some places say don't put down food every day if you don't want them to become dependant, others say once you start you 'must' do it every day. Personally I think so long as you choose one way or the other the hedgehog will be fine.

Garden netting, uncovered drains and steep sided ponds are all no-no's. Slug pellets and pesticides are a no-no too.

I'm thinking about building a hedgehog nest I can put somewhere in the garden, and opening up the very bottom of the fencing backing on the field. I know they must be out there somewhere! :)