Bbc breakfast hedgehogs
- Thread starter Victor
- Start date
- Location
- Cirencester
Unsure but let the dogs out for a pee last night, 10-30pm and the temp was -1.2C and there was a hedgehog out in the garden eaten fallen apples. I have a few in the garden that I feed but would have thought they'd be tucked up asleep by now. So can only assume that others are not into hibernation either.
If they are youngsters they are from the 2nd brood that are normally born Oct time, these are the ones that struggle to get through winter unless fed or taken in.
If they are youngsters they are from the 2nd brood that are normally born Oct time, these are the ones that struggle to get through winter unless fed or taken in.
- Location
- S E Glos
Similarly, I had a fascinating 10 mins the other day watching a bat flying around a local scowle (rock-faced hole in the ground). Assumed hibernation disturbed, or not got enough fat to go through the winter.
- Location
- Exeter, Devon
I’ve seen several bats flying around here lately. Not had a lot of frost yet, but was still surprised to see them.
Surely the increased hedgehog numbers can’t be anything to do with their location.......?
Surely the increased hedgehog numbers can’t be anything to do with their location.......?
- Location
- Breconshire
As I've posted here before, we have a growing population of hedgehogs since the other things have moved away. We are regularly seeing them about at night and have had litters under the summer house in the garden for the last three years. Oh, and far more bumble bees on the flowers in the garden this summer. I didn't realise there were so many different types of bumble bee.
- Location
- Exeter, Devon
- Location
- Breconshire
I suspect he already knows, if the truth be told. He's an intelligent bloke (I think?) so surely he's figured out why the hogs were in decline but can't bring himself to admit it.
lazy farmer
Member
- Location
- som/dor border
The summer this yr meant their was a late brood produced in August. So there are a lot of under grown juveniles about.
GeorgeK
Member
- Location
- Leicestershire
Everyone knows why, it's because "farmers are ripping out all the hedges". Despite the fact it's been illegal since '97 and all the hedges are now thoroughly mapped, measured and documented so they can check they haven't been removed
How a bout another reason
Tb breakdowns in Gloucester gone down massively and hedgehog numbers gone up massively
Any idea why that has happened?
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
Weather conditions in the spring, means every few years hedgehogs produce a second litter. These would not normally survive unless some kind people take them in.
Right-arm fast
Member
Another thumbs up for the badger cull! Everything in moderation incl badgers!
- Location
- Cornwall
And how many 100's of miles of hedges have been replanted in the last 20 odd years? Funny how that never gets mentioned!
https://www.badgertrust.org.uk/badgers
‘The diet of a badger is extremely varied, with badgers being described by expert Professor Tim Roper as "opportunistic omnivores". Earthworms are the core of the badger's diet, often by as much as 60 per cent. In a single night, an adult badger may eat well over 200 worms!’
From the above I think it is safe to assume that The Badger Trust, Packham and May have a copy of Professor Roper’s book ‘Badger’ (New Naturalist). He has this to say regarding hedgehogs:
'Badgers are significant predators of both adult and young western hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus). When Patrick Doncaster, then a graduate student at Oxford University, radio-tracked hedgehogs on a farm in East Oxfordshire he found that 3 individuals from his sample of 12 adult hedgehogs were eaten by badgers within two months of the start of his study. Similarly, when he introduced 39 radio-tagged hedgehogs into Wytham Woods, near Oxford, seven were eaten by badgers (Doncaster 1992) Subsequent survey work by Doncaster and others on both local and regional scales, has revealed consistent negative correlations between hedgehog numbers and badger numbers, suggesting that the absence of hedgehogs from rural areas in most of western and central England is a consequence of predation by badgers. Hedgehogs persist to some extent in these regions by occupying suburban habitat, but even there they are unable to survive when badger sett density in surrounding rural areas exceeds about 10 setts /km sq.(Young et al,2006)'
The whole purpose of hedgerows is the management of livestock and to keep them separate from crops, without livestock most hedgerows would become totally pointless. A Vegan would be a monumentally stupid hypocrit to complain about loss of hedgerows.
Its' a kinda of Magic....!
With apologies to the more balanced members of the pop combo...
- Location
- Cirencester
One in my garden just now, gave him/her some food. One thing I have learnt is that you cannot overfeed a hedgehog!!!
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
Did you regurgitate some dog food for it? Now that is going the extra mile !!!
- Tags
- earthworms