Friday 3 June 2016

Hedgehog Comes To Visit Our Smallholding


I saw this dear fellow going for a saunter along the drive in front of the bungalow this morning.  I haven't seen one (alive) for a few years.  Apparently their population is twenty five percent less than it was twenty five years a go.  Modern farming methods and the use of pesticides and insecticides are said to be the cause of their decline.


 A rather cute and unassuming Mr or Mrs hedgehog on our drive.  They don't seem to be in the least bit  aggressive and do a great job removing the slugs and snails.
Number 2 son grabbed my other son's welding gloves and carried the hedge hog to safety.

The weather's been "skorchio" here in Ireland for the last few weeks.  Long may it be so.

Have you seen any hedgehogs lately?

We actually sat on the patio last night looking at the bay.  I had a few cans of Newcastle Brown and J had a jug of home made Sangria.  It's great living on the Irish Riviera.  Till it rains of course!


20 comments:

  1. You've got the best weather in Europe at the moment.

    An old gypsy once told me how to cook them, but I wouldn't dream of doing it. The Igel (pronounced eagle), as it's called here, has a hard enough time crossing the road safely.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes it's fantastic weather here in West Cork, Gwil. Silage and hay being cut all over the place.

    Did the gypsy tell you to cover it in mud and bake it in the oven? No I coulldn't harm an hedgehog either. They aren't vicious in any way and they are the ardener's friend eating ths slugs and snails and nasty insects.

    Road kill always saddens me on the rural roads. If car speed limits were reduced they would have time to stop. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That was it. When it's cooked the spines come off with the mud.

      Delete
    2. So I believe Gwil. I have heard the gypsies call none gypsies "country people". Thanks!

      Delete
  3. Same here, 2 in 5 years, sadly one dead in the back garden. I'm surprised there's as many as 75% left, they were quite common here but very rarely seen now.
    I'd also like a few in the garden to eat some slugs.

    Saddens me as well, we see a lot more flattened on the road than alive. Sure motorists could miss most of them.

    Suppose there might have been an argument for eating them when they were very common, but I'd need to be starving to try, there can't be much meat on them?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I read the bees are also dying out Cumbrian. It always surprises me that farmers can cut silage when wildlife have young in the fields. The bees need flowers to pollinate and the grass is never allowed to go to seed.

    Saw a Corncrake walking down the main road with her young the other year. Think she had been disturbed by contractors cutting silage.

    I couldn't seen an argument for eating them either. Once saw a fox carrying a rat and once one with a worm in it's mouth. So they must all serve a purpose.

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I just watched one cross the garden at this very moment. Badgers are responsible for the decline in numbers. We don't have badgers here. We have lots of hedgehogs. I regard hedgehogs as rats with prickles.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Rachel. I think badgers get blamed for a lot they don't do. I often see them killed on the roads along with foxes, hares, birds and rabbits.

      The hedgehog is the gardener's friend and I wish they lived in my veg plot. I planted twelve cabbages a few weeks a go and the snails ate the lot.

      Delete
    2. I seem to be the only person who sees loads of them. There is no shortage of hedgehogs in Norfolk. No predators here, just cars I suppose.

      Delete
    3. I think Norfolk must be one of the few places with an abundance of hedgehogs Rachel. I have only seen 2 in the last fifteen years a live.

      Delete
  6. One less hedgehog here after our dogs searched one out the other night. They were told off big time. I like hedgehogs.
    Glad you are having a long stretch of sunny weather. We are waiting for ours to arrive. Still in thermals.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Vera. Yes I believe the weather's been terrible in parts of Europe and America. I am sure the good weather will soon catch up and you will have a great summer in France. Thanks!

      Delete
  7. The last alive one I saw dave was when we were still living in Spain, she had moved into our big barn and made her nest under some hay, she raised five young. Around here they are very scarce, if we see them they are dead. did you report your sighting of the Corncrake? I understood there was only a couple of secret places where they can still be heard.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Didn't know you were supposed to report Corncrake sighting Anne. I have read that farmer's harvesting fields should mow up the middle of fields instead of just going round the perimeters and working in so that wildlife have a chance to escape without being trapped. Thanks!

      Delete
  8. When i was a kid they were common sight..either flat on the road or in the garden
    Ive never seen one in trelawnyd

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like they are disappearing John. Thanks for your comment.

      Delete
  9. Last time I saw live was when my old boxer dog found one traversing the garden when I lived in Galway. Only seen the odd squished one lately on the back roads of Laois.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Last time I saw live was when my old boxer dog found one traversing the garden when I lived in Galway. Only seen the odd squished one lately on the back roads of Laois.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Minerva. I see a lot of roadkill on the Irish rural roads. It always saddens me. Especially baby rabbits. Perhaps somebody should start an hedgehog watch? People can report when they see a live hedgehog. Thanks for your comment.

      Delete
    2. Hello Minerva. I see a lot of roadkill on the Irish rural roads. It always saddens me. Especially baby rabbits. Perhaps somebody should start an hedgehog watch? People can report when they see a live hedgehog. Thanks for your comment.

      Delete

Onion Set Planting.

I still managed to plant up two of the new planters/raised beds with onion sets in the rain yesterday. Notice the white root sock in the com...