Hi Annie
Lucky Frank being able to use his own kennels! I sometimes see the slugs going up the hog house walls as well. Often wondered why. At this time of year there are nearly always several round the hog food. When I take the bowls in, they get evicted half way down the garden, but soon seem to make their way back again!
I expect you are missing Pete, but I suppose it’s good he’s grown up and moved on to the next phase of his life. You are lucky having the Long tailed tits visiting. They are one of my favourite birds. They always sound so cheerful. They love the fat balls or squares, but usually when I put those out the starlings gobble them up in no time, so the Long tailed tits don’t often get a look in.
Hog numbers are well down here. The two older missing females haven’t returned which is ominous as it was a long time ago now I last saw them. The two younger ones are also missing, but only for a few days, so far. I hope they aren’t having hoglets this late. I think they were both late hoglets from last year.
Digger is still visiting nightly. She has been getting very bossy (but gentle in comparison with the males) and quite often nudges the youngsters out the way. Once she got behind one and shunted it along – looked very funny. She also made me laugh the other night, when she got a feather stuck on the side of her face. Shouldn’t laugh really, poor girl – don’t think she was amused – but she soon got rid of it. The two hoglets (now quite big) are fun. They normally turn up on their own, but when the main light goes out they often come back together. (At this time of year, I usually leave a little bit of extra food out on the ground, when I take the bowls in). They are often a bit quarrelsome (bit of shunting there too!) but then snuggle up together and share one tiny patch of food. One or two very cute clips on the cam.
Always a bit of a worrying time after they disappear for hibernation – never knowing whether or not they will be back. I really hope some make their way there next year – and here too.
