Hi Nic,
Interesting that the male blackbird incubated the eggs as well, they do make fantastic parents, I often think that they could teach mankind a thing or two about raising offspring!
I have missed the starlings this year, they have been nesting under a neighbour’s clay pantile roof every year for as long as I can remember, until this year that is. I have a suspicion that last year they were on a mission to rid their property of any unwanted guests and one day had workmen round to seal up any likely nest holes. The squirrels were certainly unimpressed and spent the rest of that afternoon running up and down the ridge tiles screaming relentlessly! Of course that had nothing to do with my investment in a squirrel feeder earlier this year. 🙂
A very interesting article about hedgehogs, with some very useful information once you get your head around the academic stuff. The Purina One kitten biscuits – their favourites – are 41% protein, the highest that I have come across so that’s reassuring. We have plenty of their favourite black beetles in the garden; I once tried using one of those beer slug traps seeing as the hogs were failing in their duties. It remained empty for a few days whilst I tried to persuade hubby to part with a drop of beer, but in the meantime it filled up with black beetles.
I am also collecting hawthorn seedlings, although I don’t know what I am going to do with them all. The bird feeders are in a hawthorn tree and they love it. The dreaded honey fungus tried to have a go at it, but it just sent out new shoots. The building site’s a bit of a worry, they haven’t started building on the land that they cleared at the back of us yet, but I’m sure that it won’t be long. 🙁
After reading somewhere on the forum about hoglets struggling to get up steps, I thought that I had better provide a brick to help them get up ours. Sure enough, that night a little boy appeared and the following night a little girl, probably Nagini’s siblings, they certainly look alike.
Bruno came across a courting couple the other night and instead of trying to muscle in on the action, which would be the usual response, he decided to do the decent thing and leave them to it. He does look as though he’s been eating a few too many pies, but he was the same size when he came out of hibernation.
I bought a new bird/hedgehog bath the other day. Who on earth would have thought that the innocent looking bird on the side would prove to be such a health & safety hazard for hedgehogs!!! I thought at first that there were just two hedgehogs fighting, but it appears that the first thug was young Enzo (TT’s Sibling) who leaves the scene after a parting head butt, only to be replaced shortly after by Arnie.
