Mrs Tiggywinkle Hasn't Forsaken Me!
By Jackie Money
@olliesmum (828)
Norwich, England
July 17, 2019 9:38am CST
A few days back I was bemoaning the fact that I hadn't seen a hedgehog in our garden for a good number of years but a couple of days ago I saw what I thought was a hedgehog dropping. I thought no more about it but this afternoon I was in the garden trimming the edge of our lawn close to the fishpond when I saw three little pellets. They definitely look like hedgehog poo!
Seems at least one little hedgehog finds our garden enticing - whether it's because it) can find a way through to the meadow or whether it comes in for the slugs that we have in the garden I don't know but I'm glad to know they're still around. When it comes to slugs and snails, we don't tend to kill them unnecessarily and provided the slugs and snails stay away from my plants I'm happy for them to stay in the garden. They encourage birds and frogs as well as hedgehogs.
Tonight I shall be making sure it has access to some fresh water and I'll probably put a little bit of cooked rice down.
I would have taken a photo but sadly it only seems to like coming in when there's nobody about but I'm happy just knowing they're still around.
4 people like this
4 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
17 Jul 19
We've had one snuffling and snorting around a couple of times this year. They definitely aren't as common as they used to be, though.
Another thing I've noticed this year is that, with this warm weather we used to have to clean the windscreen of splatted insects a lot. This year, I don't think I've seen one on the windscreen. Is it because I'm driving less than I used to do or are there really fewer insects? I believe that it's the latter and, if so, that is probably why there are fewer of everything which feeds on them, too.
2 people like this
@olliesmum (828)
• Norwich, England
17 Jul 19
I've noticed this year that we haven't had as many butterflies in the garden and I haven't seen a single damselfly or dragonfly. As we live near a water meadow we usually have scores of them settling around our pond. One thing we've found that hasn't changed ... we're still getting a good dose of 'thunder bugs' or harvest flies. We were wondering what their purpose was. They seem too small to provide food for any wildlife. Any ideas?
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
17 Jul 19
@olliesmum Thrips. Blessed things! Don't they always make a beeline for anything yellow, especially. I once had a yellow baseball cap which had a mesh top. It was good for keeping the sun off and cool because of the mesh but it was a magnet for thrips!
Here is all you wanted to know (and more, probably!). I didn't know most of it, though I did know that some of them help with pollination. Who feeds on them, however, seems to not be known, though, presumably, someone does!
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation Jump to search For the type genus, see Thrips (genus). "Thunderbug" redirects here. For the NHL mascot, see List of National Hockey League mascots. For the girl group, see Thunderbugs (band). ThripsT
1 person likes this
@Fleura (29092)
• United Kingdom
17 Jul 19
You could post a photo of the hedgehog poo and I could compare it to what I've found in my garden! I have seen a hedgehog once so far, still hoping they are out there. I almost thought I might have found one the other night when there was a rustling in the bushes at dusk, but it turned out to be a large frog! This was quite a surprise given that the garden is as dry as a bone at the moment!
2 people like this
@Fleura (29092)
• United Kingdom
17 Jul 19
@olliesmum Actually I just found this site, and I think I might have been right!
@olliesmum (828)
• Norwich, England
18 Jul 19
Would have taken a photo for you today Fleur but it's teeming down with rain so even the previous ones have been washed away!
1 person likes this
@olliesmum (828)
• Norwich, England
17 Jul 19
I don't know whether it's because frogs just lurk and then jump but they scare the life out of me sometimes I'll try and take a photo the next time he (or she) comes in to use my garden as a loo!!!
2 people like this
@xFiacre (12601)
• Ireland
17 Jul 19
@olliesmum That's delightful. I haven't seen one in yonks. We have badgers and foxes who visit our garden from time to time, but no hedgehogs thus far.
1 person likes this
@olliesmum (828)
• Norwich, England
18 Jul 19
We often see foxes in the meadow at the bottom of our garden but haven't seen a badger for years.
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@JudyEv (325204)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Jul 19
@olliesmum Poor Dusky. That's sounds an awful life.
1 person likes this
@olliesmum (828)
• Norwich, England
18 Jul 19
I'm just wondering what my two cats would make of it. We got Ollie 5 years ago and haven't had hedgehogs since then. As for Dusky, she started life trapped in a kitchen with 20 other cats so she most definitely hasn't seen one.
1 person likes this