Tuesday 19 May 2009

Two Hedgehogs and a Jackdaw

Yesterday I spent quite a lot longer than I had anticipated altering the cables between the shed and the living room. The video signals now travel a shorter route which means some improvement in the quality of the pictures. Today involved all the excitement that goes with an hour or twos shopping. I did remember to get a tin of cat food to see if the Hedgehogs would eat it.

Last night both Hedgehogs made an appearance on video. They met up several times. This time I was able to see the way they interacted more clearly. In the past it looked as though the large one was pushing the small one away from the food. Now it can be seen that the large one almost prostrates itself as it nears the smaller one. You can see how it lowers its head and tilts it to one side. A few times it then lowers its head and neck right down to ground level and seems to rub its neck on the ground.

Assuming the large one is the male it looks like he is saying, "Is it time to make baby hedgehogs yet?" and she is saying, "Not tonight dear. I've got a headache."



For an all too brief few seconds I did see the Turtle Dove was in the garden again yesterday about teatime. I hope it will become a regular. It certainly makes a change from Collared Doves and Wood Pigeons.

Never to give in to a challenge one, or possible more, of the Jackdaws has been making concerted efforts to feed from the fat balls. The wooden beam above the feeders makes it awkward for it to reach down but with a lot of flapping it is able to grab a few beaks full before it has to let go of the slippery metal.

From MIDMARSH JOTTINGS


Jackdaw

I keep trying to get some video of its antics but it so skittish it vanishes at the slightest view of me through the kitchen window.

12 comments:

  1. Great photos of the antics of the Jackdaw. That's one we don't have.

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  2. Great Jackdaw shots. We don't get them in our garden. I'm not sure if thats a good thing or a bad thing though!

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  3. Lovely Jackdaw collage and the hedgehog antics were fascinating, definitely something going on there!

    I nearly missed this post as my sidebar doesn't seem to be updating properly at the moment and only checked as I know you tend to post daily, I think it must be a blogger glitch.

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  4. What interesting hedgehog behaviour! It's fascinating to watch them, thanks to your video. The jackdaw is bound and determined, and sure gets a workout during the process of trying to feed! Very clear photos of it, as well. How close to your window are the feeders? I have some on my back deck, and although they are great during the winter weather, they're a bit too close when I'm outside now. Yesterday I was buzzed twice by a hummingbird...I must have been in the way!

    I hadn't realized clicking on my linked name didn't work, so thanks for pointing that out, and I hope I've fixed it ~ :)

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  5. Thanks Mick. Would be boring if we all had the same birds. You have some beautiful ones we don't.

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  6. Thank you Joe. This is the first year I have had Jackdaws in the garden. Some people find them a nuisance as they can become very bold but these are very shy.

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  7. Hi Jan: Thanks. I am sure those Hedgehogs are a pair. I've try searching to find more about their behaviour but not seen any explanation for what these two are doing.

    I had noticed that Blogger still shows my last entry as the latest. Very puzzling and annoying. If nobody had made a comment I would have deleted it and tried again.

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  8. Hi Glo. Your linked name is working just fine now.
    The Jackdaws and the Rooks are resourceful and determined birds with a lot of intelligence. I was watching a group of them this morning. They were sat in a tree above the feeders, all the time peering down and obviously working out what to try next to get at the food.
    The feeders are about fifteen feet away from the kitchen window, off to one side.

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  9. ...I can tell I won't be able to get enough of the cute little Hedgies on your Hoggy-cam. Beautiful Jackdaws. We don't have them, but have similar species.

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  10. Hi Kelly. Nor me. The Hedgehogs are fascinating and there is something special about being able to watch a night time creature going about its normal activities. I would dearly love to be able to film them in colour and I will find a way one of these days as there are video cameras which can see colour in very dim light.

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  11. Cracking shots of the Jackdaw John.

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  12. Thanks Keith. One of the few times it was so busy it didn't notice me.

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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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