Daylight Hedgehog

Victoria Sponge

There is a hedgehog wandering around the garden today, keeping undercover, it has gone the length of the garden twice today (that I've seen).

It looks fine, I see no reason to bother it, a medium sized pig moving at a normal speed and appears healthy.  

I heard it snuffling about in one twig heap, then later saw it pushing through the undergrowth towards the hedgehog sty where it took a right into another twig heap. Just seen it again (assume it's the same one) climbing up the side of the first twig heap about 18" off the ground and burrowing inside.

What do you reckon, nest? The British Hedgehog Preservation Society suggests daylight hogs at this time of year are nesting sows...didn't see it carrying any material though, maybe just scouting?

Does anyone have any other suggestions for this behaviour? As I say, it looks fine, there is access to water etc. I was aware of a hedgehog presence and I feed several times a week. Just seems a bit out the ordinary🤔

pansyface

Have any of your neighbours been moving stuff around in their garden?

Victoria Sponge

Just had a look from my upstairs window and nothing seems to have been demolished or moved.

I was only aware of one neighbour out this morning, mowing the lawn and making a little fence but that was while the hedgehog was already in the garden.

Guernsey Donkey2

Put plenty of bowls/containers of water out for your visiting hog Victoria Sponge - don't use weedkiller or slug pellets and just keep an eye on the hog if you can, without disturbing it.  You probably know all this already, but apart from that I can't think of anything else you can do to help/encourage it. 

AnniD

As you say @Victoria Sponge, this time of year it could well be a female hedgehog nesting. If it's moving purposefully and burrowing and not staggering or lying down, it seems a fairly safe bet. 
If it reappears and seems to be struggling,  do you have a nearby rescue you can contact? 

Victoria Sponge

Hi GD, yes I agree with everything you say. There have been hogs around (on and off) since I've lived here, about 7 years, and I've seen signs of them regularly this year (poo). Just haven't seen a daylight hog, pre-dusk, a few times, but not several times over the course of a morning...thought it was a bit odd.

Hi AnniD, I will take it to a vet if I see anything of concern, they treat wildlife for free. I don't know if there's a local rescue centre but will look it up, good advice, thank you. To me the behaviour seems how they behave on a night/ at dusk. Moving purposefully, as you say, fairly brisk pace, freezes and face down when disturbed, waiting until it goes quiet then moving off. I think it has a tick on its back, but nothing I could see on its face, eyes look bright and normal, able to climb.

Victoria Sponge

Since posting the above I have only seen a hedgehog in the garden at dusk until today. This time it was definitely human error that caused the daylight hedgehog, a parcel had been left for me behind one of the wheelie bins blocking it's access at my side gate.

It's gone in the back garden now and is in one of the borders. I've come back inside in case it is waiting for quiet before sneaking over to wherever it lives.

AnniD

I can almost hear the muttering and grumbling of that hedgehog @Victoria Sponge 
Has it disappeared now ? 

Victoria Sponge

Hi AnniD, yes, it halted where it was pushing its way through the border and I got the impression it wanted to cut across the lawn into the corner by the house. I've seen a hedgehog coming out from there before. Within half an hour it had gone anyway.

I've got an emergency tin of dog food, will put some in it's food hut later. Normally it gets the cat's left over biscuits.

Victoria Sponge

The daylight hedgehog is back! Or a different one, actually two this morning and one of them did seem to be nesting:

It was ripping out bits of garlic mustard and collecting some dry stalks and leaves that were lying around and dragging it under the fence behind the honesty clump in the photo.

It must be making a nest under next doors decking. I've been maintaining the tunnel entrance for a while even though I haven't seen a hog for at least a year. 

While I was spying on H1 I noticed a second one in one of the wildlife heaps where I've seen a hog before. There is another tunnel behind the heap here that I made under the back fence.

FlyDragon

How lucky are you!  I'd love hedgehogs in my garden, I do see them at the front sometimes but I have to keep the bak secure for the dog so they can't get in.  

Its a shame, I'd make it lovely for them!