Hedgehog building its nest

[Lolle]

Hello dear hedgehog lovers,

This morning I could find me in the happily position to watch a hedgehog building its nest in our garden! So cute! And it was seemingly oblivious to my observation as she was quite busy. Luckily it’s just there where we piled up leaves under a big shrub last autumn especially for the hedgehogs we see regularly. The pile of leaves cover the shrubs massive cavernous roots. Our intension then was to provide a nest for hibernating. We actually don’t know if it had been used. BUT, we are quite happy that it’s now actually fulfilling its purpose! It is situated in a outlying „wild corner“ of our garden with stinging nettles, weed, compost barrel… I’m really excited to see eventually some young „hoggis“ following their mother through our garden and to the water place! assuming that nothing worse will happen.

I know that there is another hedgehogstreet member in our village. Once she was handing out those leaflets in the neighborhood and had a quick chat with my husband at our door as she saw our hedgehog highway sign, but unfortunately I don’t know her name and where she lives. So I hope to tell her this happy story via this page 🙂

I’m from Bucks, near Amersham.

Please excuse grammar or spelling errors as English is my second language.

See you and wish you all luck with your efforts of taking care for the little hedgehogs.

[Nic]

Hi Lolle

That’s is so exciting to see a mother hedgehog making her nest! So lucky that you left all those leaves waiting. What a treat you hopefully have in store to see mother hedgehog and little train of hoglets. I wish them all the very best of luck. Let us know how things go.

Hope your fellow hedgehog street champion sees your post and maybe makes contact again.

Good luck and happy hog watching.

[Lolle]

Thank you Nic.

Here’s a short update:
Once I could gain a look into the open nest hole as I discovered a huge entry hole in the pile that in my opinion hadn’t been there before. It looked like it has been abandoned, so I got cautiously a bit closer.. And then I saw them! Mother in her nest with two little ones underneath. Their prickles (?) same colour as mother’s. She was awake and carefully watching me. I immediately retreated and left them alone. The little family’s already exploring the garden in the night together! So they must have been born weeks before I had discovered the nest making, that in fact was just a renovation (or a house moving?).

Now I really don’t want to disturb them any more. I even think twice to pass them to reach the water barrel. Luckily, we don’t mower this patch of lawn that has changed into a meadow, but we still have to mower the rest of the lawn. It’s roughly 4 mtr. away from them. Do you think that’s possible or is it too disturbingly noisy and we should wait another 3 weeks? I read everywhere they are so easily scared. I really don’t want to chase them away.
I would appreciate your or someone else’s advice.

[simbo65]

Hi-
You are very lucky to have a mum and hoglets.
Personally, I would do as little as possible to disturb them for as long as I could.
Hopefully with little rain the lawn won’t grow too much and I would delay mowing for as long as possible
I would put some food and water in a very shallow dish close by but not too near to disturb her.
Please let us know how you all get on.

[Lolle]

Hello Simbo,

You’re right. We will wait until they’re gone. Fresh water is always supplied next to the bird feeding station in a big plant saucer, behind and in front of our house. I realised the importancy last year when it was so terribly hot for many days/weeks. We were sitting on the terrace early evening, still bright daylight, when suddenly a hedgehog emerged, running like Speedy Gonzales over the lawn straight away to the water place and drank and drank and drank…. It must have nearly died of thirst.
I provide dry hedgehog food from time to time. Since the little family’s here, every night. It’s next to the water. I’ve just read some of your postings. So you’ve got eventually little hoggies, too? Good luck with them and your one eyed Cyclopsina 🙂

[Nic]

Really good news, Lolle! You’re so lucky being able to see them out and about.

Good that you are providing water, too. Re. the food, it’s best not to put it too close to a nest – wouldn’t want to attract any unwanted visitors, too close, but it sounds as if it is a little way away, so that’s fine.

It sounds as if these little ones are fairly well grown by now, but you are right to be cautious around nests, in general. Mother hedgehogs can desert their young if they are still very tiny and are disturbed.

Good luck with them all. Hope you continue to enjoy watching them.

[Author]

Posts