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.



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.



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.