Hi Wildlifehaven
I live not far from a main road and a railway line. I think some of the hedgehogs either live, or visit the edge of the railway. There is a little hole under the railway fence right opposite my garden – made by the hogs, I suspect. At least one of the hogs, last year, came from across the smaller, nearer road.
The hedgehogs were visiting before I started putting food out. I decided to offer them some supplementary food and more came. Except for this time of year when there are possibly still hedgehogs returning, hungry, from hibernation, I don’t normally leave any food out over night. Only when I am up to watch them. (Partly to make sure it is only hogs getting the food – apart from the odd woodmouse). It might be encouraging them to arrive earlier – can’t be sure. Even, now, as I have discovered from the nightcam – new this year – not very clear, but you can see there are hogs there – the food doesn’t last long.
At the moment the first hog is arriving at about 8.50. She is a female who has been visiting for a long time and keeps pretty good time!
The night cam shows that hogs are still visiting the garden a long time after all the food has gone. That is how it should be. Hopefully they are finding wild food here as well. Regarding the habitat part – you can make your garden a better habitat. I know there are still improvements I can make (from the hog point of view). They can apparently travel 1 – 2 kilometres a night and have quite a big ‘range’ that is why it is so important to link the habitats/gardens.
You are lucky having newts. I had a frog in my ponds last year – I have 3 ponds in tubs, one buried (all with beaches/steps up the side to allow hogs and birds to safely get out). He – I’m guessing maybe he was a he – sadly no frogspawn this year – would turn up in one or other of the ponds but never more than one at a time, so, might be wrong, but I think he was only one. (Haven’t started identifying frogs!! – yet?!) He had the disconcerting habit of suddenly landing on my foot when I didn’t even realise he was about.
