First hedgehog of 2019 to my garden
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My regular hedgehogs reappeared on 1st March this year. I was glad I had the 2 hedgehog houses I use as feeding stations all ready cleaned, aired and loaded with food. They’re getting through a lot of food! I’m in Cambridgeshire.
Just had a look at my webcam in the garden and have had numerous sightings throughout February and March and on one particular recording there were two hedgehogs (never had two in the garden before to my knowledge) and they were having a fight. Never realised they fought so aggressively I don’t think the interloper will be back any time soon.
Hog(s) have been feeding in my garden regularly since early March, but I only had this year’s first sighting today – at lunchtime! He was just toddling under a large pile of leaves which l’d been thinking for some time looked like some sort of shelter. I’ve never seen a hedgehog in the garden in daylight before but he looked ok and was a decent size, so am hoping he had merely been disturbed by a sudden hailstorm we’d just had. Good to have my visitors back again.
Hi wendells
Hedgehog altercations can look quite alarming when you see them for the first time, but don’t forget they have all those spines to cushion them a bit, so it usually isn’t as serious as first appears. There have been times, here, when one more dominant hog has had a few others rolled up at the same time and still tried to court a female in between making sure they stayed rollled up. Not sure she was that impressed with him keeping running off!
You will probably find the hog does come back – they usually have here. Some just keep coming back regardless, others will come back but just a bit more cautiously and others come back at a different time – presumably to try to avoid the aggressor.
Good luck with them all.
Hi Dizzydog
Pleased to hear you have had a sighting. It’s always so lovely to see old friends returning from hibernation. He may have been disturbed, as you say, but keep an eye out for him just in case – as I’m sure you know, not always easy to tell how well, or otherwise, they are with all those spines!
I still just have my over-wintering visitor here, but haven’t checked last night’s video yet. I think he has quite enjoyed having the place to himself, so may not be quite so keen on returners as I am!
Hi Nic. Am keeping an eye open for him. Haven’t seen him again in daylight so far, so fingers crossed. The food is disappearing every night and the hay in the hog house is now sporting a hog-shaped dent, so someone has started spending time in there. 😊
Hi all. New to the site and lovely to hear of your sightings. I’m just trying to catch a glimpse as something is eating the food but not sure what as I’ve not seen droppings. Last year I had 5 (possibly 7) hogs in my garden at the same time. I’m hoping it wasn’
t a one off as it only happened on that night. I normally get at least 3 regulars and hoping to see some babies one year!Hi Mrs Brads
Welcome to the Forum. Don’t worry too much – it’s still quite early. I still have only seen on returner from hibernation and I’m not sure that he hasn’t moved on.
Re. the droppings thing – other than ones left around the garden, I have come to the conclusion that hogs might only do the ‘usual’ poos around the feeding area if there are multiple hogs around. This last winter, for the second year running, I have had hogs who haven’t hibernated – one each year. In both cases they didn’t poo at all around the feeding area whilst they were the only one around. Saved a lot of work! So, absence, or apparent absence, of droppings doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t a hog around.
Hopefully if you have had hogs regularly visiting, they will be back again. The males usually come out of hibernation first (they go in earlier – no hoglet rearing duties to worry about) so most of the ones around now are probably still the males. Hopefully at least one of your regulars might turn out to be a female, but they don’t always bring the hoglets to feeding areas, until they’re a bit bigger.
Hope you have some confirmed sightings soon. Good luck.
Hi Nic, thanks so much for the info. I didn’t have to wait long as I saw my first one of the year tonight at 20:50hr and think it’s the biggest one I’ve seen so guessing it was male! Last summer they all fed in the hoghouse then went down the side of the house to do their business! All in the same place so some communal toilets going on! I do have a few nerves when they are making lots of noise though as we have badger sets right on the opposite side of the fence and know that they are a threat to them.
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