Hi Annie
I’m so pleased for you that the hedgehog/s is still visiting. It’s lovely to know that even with a gap with no hogs, it’s still possible some will turn up again. You really deserved some good hog luck – after all your perseverance! It would be nice if there is more than one.
I know what you mean about the batteries. My main camera I use rechargeable batteries but they have to be recharged every day. I might try photos now there is only one hog visiting. When there are lots of hogs, you miss out on seeing behaviour.
Sadly still no Digger. Last seen 30th July – a bit too long. Very sad, but I haven’t totally given up hope yet. Unfortunately Horace/Aceus has also disappeared. If it was Horace, I have always thought that the males tend to disperse a bit, and if it was Aceus, still possible it was hoglet related. Little Splash seems to be loving having the place to herself. She is frequently seen on the lawn foraging. I have reached the conclusion that whilst a bit of longer grass is quite handy for insects, etc. to hide in during the day, the hogs seem to prefer slightly longer short grass to forage in, so I have just raised the height of the mower. Splash, for the first time for ages is actually looking more or less like a normal hog, with the markings mostly washed away. I just hope she stays like that, but not holding my breath!
Re. the bushes, the only trouble is if you ‘lift the skirts’ of too many then it isn’t so good for the hogs. As it has happened, this year, the buddleia flowers on the lower branches seem to have gone over quickly (probably the hot dry weather earlier) so that’s lucky. Next year I might try to keep that one a bit higher. I used to, when I had my cat, because he and his friends from next door used to try to catch the butterflies. Mostly without much success, luckily.
You mentioning mice reminds me that the mice that were here, using up huge numbers of videos, seem to have completely disappeared, too. I didn’t actually see any of the visiting cats catch any of them, but something must have happened.
The netting is a problem. I just think, these days, that so many people have become so distanced from wildlife that they just don’t think about the consequences. Perhaps more of them need to read Pam Ayres hedgehog poem!
I don’t get so many birds on the cam now – I have got it on night only – but there are some, very early morning. Including 4 magpies the other morning. I know not everyone likes them, but they are quite spectacular to look at. I seldom see them any other time of day. I do love the collared doves, though, they are such gentle looking birds!
