Sean Regan
Well-known member
Evenin' all!
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The Hedgehog Herald, for all your hedgehog news
- Thread starter Sean Regan
- Start date
Please tell me you have one named Sonic!
Sean Regan
Well-known member
The camera was first activated a week ago, but as none of the food provided had gone, I didn't check until yesterday morning.
This hedgehog had made a few attempts to get into the feeder, but was unsuccessful, it obviously considered the opening too small.
This seemed strange as the old feeder, with the same size entrance, presented no difficulty to any of them last year.
So yesterday I took a hacksaw to the pipe and reduced the length by more than 50%.
But again last night, this one still wouldn't go in. I can only conclude that it isn't "our" hedgehog, the one that went into the house under the azaleas to the side of the patio to hibernate. This present one does seem quite big. The one in the house would have lost weight during hibernation and unlikely to be that size. I've repositioned the camera to cover the entrance to the house, so tomorrow we'll know if it has finished hibernating and is coming in and out, or possibly didn't survive the winter. But I won't make a physical check until much later in the month.
This hedgehog had made a few attempts to get into the feeder, but was unsuccessful, it obviously considered the opening too small.
This seemed strange as the old feeder, with the same size entrance, presented no difficulty to any of them last year.
So yesterday I took a hacksaw to the pipe and reduced the length by more than 50%.
But again last night, this one still wouldn't go in. I can only conclude that it isn't "our" hedgehog, the one that went into the house under the azaleas to the side of the patio to hibernate. This present one does seem quite big. The one in the house would have lost weight during hibernation and unlikely to be that size. I've repositioned the camera to cover the entrance to the house, so tomorrow we'll know if it has finished hibernating and is coming in and out, or possibly didn't survive the winter. But I won't make a physical check until much later in the month.
Sean Regan
Well-known member
Some photos from last night from the camera covering the hedgehog house under the azaleas to the side of the patio,
At 6.30pm, "Rocky" our robin.
At 7.02 pm, "Bert" one of our pair of blackbirds
At 7.05pm, one of our several sparrows.
Then hello? Who's this?
At 3.48 am, a hedgehog!
This is a screen-shot at the end of the video the camera takes after a still image.
No further photos or videos. So the hedgehog didn't come out again before 8.00am this morning when the camera turns itself off. But there was no record of it coming out earlier in the evening.
The food in the feeder has not been touched.
So is this the hedgehog that went in last September and has grown in the intervening months and thinks it can no longer get into the house?
The only other activity recorded by the camera, at the bottom of the garden, was this pesky visiting cat.
I needed to make the entrance larger.
I thought it would be a pig of a job and so it proved to be.
I've made the apertures in the inner and outer facia and inserted a slice of soil pipe in the entrance tube. I could have glued it. But I hadn't any and anyway, it would always be under tension, so it could fail as it would often be damp. It was hard to drill holes in the plastic from the inside and countersink them because of the angle . But it's done. The diameter is now the recommended size. 4.5."
If I'd made it any larger, there's a possibility a cat could get in.
I won't alter the other house. That size of pipe was good enough last year for those hedgehogs that visited our garden. It's early days yet. So I'll see how they get on.
At 6.30pm, "Rocky" our robin.
At 7.02 pm, "Bert" one of our pair of blackbirds
At 7.05pm, one of our several sparrows.
Then hello? Who's this?
At 3.48 am, a hedgehog!
This is a screen-shot at the end of the video the camera takes after a still image.
No further photos or videos. So the hedgehog didn't come out again before 8.00am this morning when the camera turns itself off. But there was no record of it coming out earlier in the evening.
The food in the feeder has not been touched.
So is this the hedgehog that went in last September and has grown in the intervening months and thinks it can no longer get into the house?
The only other activity recorded by the camera, at the bottom of the garden, was this pesky visiting cat.
I needed to make the entrance larger.
I thought it would be a pig of a job and so it proved to be.
I've made the apertures in the inner and outer facia and inserted a slice of soil pipe in the entrance tube. I could have glued it. But I hadn't any and anyway, it would always be under tension, so it could fail as it would often be damp. It was hard to drill holes in the plastic from the inside and countersink them because of the angle . But it's done. The diameter is now the recommended size. 4.5."
If I'd made it any larger, there's a possibility a cat could get in.
I won't alter the other house. That size of pipe was good enough last year for those hedgehogs that visited our garden. It's early days yet. So I'll see how they get on.
Sheal
Well-known member
- Location
- Ross-shire Scotland
Sean that Sparrow looks like a Dunnock to me.
Sean Regan
Well-known member
Could be, I wasn't sure, as I couldn't tell the colour of the legs well enough, we've always had a few dunnocks occasionally, but far more sparrows, there's a little flock of them, so my first guess was a sparrow.
Sean Regan
Well-known member
There's been some general housekeeping at the occupied home.
Some of the bedding has been dragged out into the entrance.
The first sight of the occupant was at 8.46 pm last night.
Then again at 8.52pm
and finally, at 9.04pm.
But it didn't leave the house at all. Neither was the food touched in the modified feeder. I can only assume it's a bit too cold yet to be permanently active.
The other camera didn't work at all, but I've a replacement on order.
Some of the bedding has been dragged out into the entrance.
The first sight of the occupant was at 8.46 pm last night.
Then again at 8.52pm
and finally, at 9.04pm.
But it didn't leave the house at all. Neither was the food touched in the modified feeder. I can only assume it's a bit too cold yet to be permanently active.
The other camera didn't work at all, but I've a replacement on order.
Sean Regan
Well-known member
"Hallooo!"
I think someone found a tape measure and checked it out.
Some of the pellets in both feeders have been eaten.
The videos last night only showed a hedgehog going into the house under the azaleas and later coming out. So I knew it wasn't occupied although there was evidence that it had been occupied. So this morning I took it out, cleaned it out, put in fresh hay and put it back again.
My new camera arrived yesterday afternoon, it's more sophisticated than the other two, despite being far cheaper. The definition is better too.
"Testing, testing."
I think someone found a tape measure and checked it out.
Some of the pellets in both feeders have been eaten.
The videos last night only showed a hedgehog going into the house under the azaleas and later coming out. So I knew it wasn't occupied although there was evidence that it had been occupied. So this morning I took it out, cleaned it out, put in fresh hay and put it back again.
My new camera arrived yesterday afternoon, it's more sophisticated than the other two, despite being far cheaper. The definition is better too.
"Testing, testing."
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Sean Regan
Well-known member
Cameras re-positioned ready for tonight.
I could do with someone Gromit, with a clipboard, to record the comings and goings.
I could do with someone Gromit, with a clipboard, to record the comings and goings.
Sean Regan
Well-known member
Quite a lot of activity last night, all the food in both feeders was eaten.
There were four "ins" through the doorway, like this.
Followed consecutively by four "outs" like this.
This was over a period of about six hours.
Whether this was just one hedgehog or more than one, I don't know. But I suspect there were more, as one wouldn't have eaten that much food.
There was no traffic through the other door.
There were four "ins" through the doorway, like this.
Followed consecutively by four "outs" like this.
This was over a period of about six hours.
Whether this was just one hedgehog or more than one, I don't know. But I suspect there were more, as one wouldn't have eaten that much food.
There was no traffic through the other door.
Sean Regan
Well-known member
There was a bit of a queue for the feeder on the patio last night....
So we've at least two that come into the garden. These two were following each other around the patio for quite some time and didn't seem to mind the bit of rain we had.
However, the house under the azaleas had no visitors.
There was quite a bit of traffic through the doorway in the fence.
Out.
Back in again seven seconds later, perhaps it forgot something?
Another visitor, not so welcome, but they are around in the garden every year.
As usual, all the food was eaten.
So we've at least two that come into the garden. These two were following each other around the patio for quite some time and didn't seem to mind the bit of rain we had.
However, the house under the azaleas had no visitors.
There was quite a bit of traffic through the doorway in the fence.
Out.
Back in again seven seconds later, perhaps it forgot something?
Another visitor, not so welcome, but they are around in the garden every year.
As usual, all the food was eaten.
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