Wednesday 5 May 2010

Those Young Hedgehogs

No photographic opportunities during the day as I had become Tea Boy for two sets of workmen and Bobby had to keep checking on them to make sure they weren't slacking! The electricians were changing my ancient consumer unit with only four fuses for a modern one with lots of space for expansion, installing needed earth bonding and a new cable for the other workers. The installation engineers were installing air conditioning in the lounge. The indoor and outdoor units were bulkier than I had anticipated but that was made up by the effiency of the system which can cool the room or extract heat from outdoors and heat the room. On a trial this morning with the outdoor temperature at 8C it extracted plenty of heat and raised the room temperature 3C in a little under three quarters of an hour.

After a cooked meal we both had a much needed siesta. As daylight faded the first of the young Hedgehogs arrived and spent a while snacking. I went in the kitchen to watch and take a bit of video. After a short while I could hear snuffling, scraping and crunching. The second youngster was coming along a narrow gravel path next to the shed. They both met up just out of my sight so I grabbed the old Canon 350D and went out hoping to photograph them both together. That was not to be. The Canon pulses the flash rapidly to help it focus in the dark but it takes so long about it that one hog had moved away by the time this was taken.

Young Hedgehog

A short while later one youngster was back at the feeding dish and I could see the other racing across the lawn so they had not been put off by the experience.  At our bedtime Bobby could immediately hear or smell Hedgehog. There was one of the youngsters on the paved area near the side gate. When Bobby had done what he needed to do and had gone back inside I got the Lumix and a torch in the hopes the hog would still be around. My luck was in. With the aid of the torch and the red LED the Lumix uses  for night focussing I was able to get a quick decent shot.

Young Hedgehog

Poor thing does look a bit apprehensive but the experience didn't scare them away as at least one was back at the food dish by midnight. No takers again in the Hedgehog House but at least I know it does get used from time to time.

6 comments:

  1. So glad all went well yesterday, John and that Bobby was on the ball as overseer :) I'm glad too that you are pleased with the results.

    I'm very impressed with all your hog activity, great photos too! They used to be such regular visitors to our garden but last year I saw no evidence of any at all :(

    Thanks for the answer regarding Blogger/Google. We changed the filter on the phone point yesterday and things did seem better last evening. Fingers crossed that I haven't put the spell on it by saying that!

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  2. Hello Jan. I'm sure Bobby would have climbed the ladder into the loft if he was able! Having had to stay awake all day he was shattered last evening.

    It seems strange in a way that the two youngsters have appeared when there was no sign of them at the end of last year.

    Here's hoping you have cured your connection problems. I know BT have been working on a lot of exchanges recently and that can cause temporary problems.

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  3. They are so darling. Hedgehogs always remind me of the Beatrix Potter story, "Mrs. Tiggwinkle". I love that you put food out for them.

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  4. That 2nd hedgehog picture is a particularly one! Lovely!

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  5. Hello Wendy. Thank you for your comment. There is something endearing about them. Such harmless and garden friendly creatures.

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  6. Thank you GLW. I was lucky it stayed put instead of running away.

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Thank you for visiting. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Any comment, or correction to any information or identification I get wrong, is most welcome. John

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