Feeding frenzy

 A Saturday night and what better way to spent it than looking at the hedgehogs coming to the feeding station? Camera at the ready, the action was frantic once the first visitor appeared at 21.10 hrs. I watched from my study door right through to midnight and am confident that at least five different individuals were involved. At one point there were three together, two at the food the third at the water, whilst the most surprising sighting was the reappearance of the colour marked individual which I'd last seen, and photographed, on the 5th Sept. Activity was constant and I rattled off loads of shots as the animals continually visited the food and water. I need to sit down and go through the masses of images, I've recorded, to compile a gallery of the hedgehogs which have been attracted into the garden. Something else to put on the imminent lockdown "to do" list?

It's now Sunday night, I've just got home from a short session at the syndicate fishery and didn't get the food out until 22.05 hrs! Not to worry as the first visitor arrived within five minutes!!! Something worth considering, before starting out on a hedgehog feeding project. is that once they become accustomed to the provision of food and water, it may well become their primary source of nourishment. In many ways it mirrors the garden bird feeders and the reliance, of local breeding birds during the summer months, that is part and parcel of year round feeding. As the days start to shorten, our garden hedgehogs will be building up fat reserves to see them through hibernation. If you are unable to commit to a sustained feeding program it is best that you don't start now. This year's young animals don't have the luxury of being able to waste effort, burning valuable energy, in the hope that food might be provided? Please be aware that these are my opinions and have no science to back my thoughts. If you want to feed hedgehogs do it how and when you see fit - got to be better than not doing it at all?

Both flanks of the colour marked hedgehog. I hope that whoever did this is
proud of themselves. I'm going to call it Vic - short for "victim"!