A slight gap in blogging, sorry, but it is due partly to busy life and partly because there was nothing obvious to blog about, and we don't want to blog for the sake of it.
But this time something for us that was remarkable. As some will know we use a camera-trap to monitor the garden, and particular any nighttime action. Recently we have had very regular captures of fox and badger on most nights somewhere in the garden, and sometimes hedgehog.
Now we have always been a bit worried that badger and hedgehog don't mix ... badgers are known to attack and eat hedgehogs ... at least that's what we've heard. Which brings us to some recent video. We set the camera to view a little bit of shrubbery by the end of the main house patio area. We put it here because deep in the shrubs is a hedgehog house put there in the hope we might attract a hedgehog. We know we have one or more, but the question was are they using this purpose built "house". So just outside the place where it sits we put the camera.
And we caught lots of action, fox, badger, hedgehog and even (need a separate post) a wee mouse (we think wood mouse). We also know the many cats who wander through often sit and stare in to this area. Well the reason many come is seed - above in the shrubs we had had a bird feeder and the much-spilled seed is deep in the grass there. Equally clearly, badger, hedgehog and mouse all love this.
But the unusual - for us dramatic - sequence was when a lovely few videos of hedgehog munching away, then becomes a series of videos with a young badger right in there beside it. For a scary moment we thought a soon-to-be-seen video might capture some ugly scene. But no. The hedgehog just hunches down (does not fully roll up) and stays still, for something like 7 minutes while the badger snuffles away at the seed - seemingly oblivious of, or certainly disinterested in the hedgehog. When the badger has moved on, the hedgehog stays still a few minutes longer, and then, seemingly unperturbed, carries on eating itself.
So here for you enjoyment are are a few of the 20 second videos - before, during and after.
But this time something for us that was remarkable. As some will know we use a camera-trap to monitor the garden, and particular any nighttime action. Recently we have had very regular captures of fox and badger on most nights somewhere in the garden, and sometimes hedgehog.
Now we have always been a bit worried that badger and hedgehog don't mix ... badgers are known to attack and eat hedgehogs ... at least that's what we've heard. Which brings us to some recent video. We set the camera to view a little bit of shrubbery by the end of the main house patio area. We put it here because deep in the shrubs is a hedgehog house put there in the hope we might attract a hedgehog. We know we have one or more, but the question was are they using this purpose built "house". So just outside the place where it sits we put the camera.
And we caught lots of action, fox, badger, hedgehog and even (need a separate post) a wee mouse (we think wood mouse). We also know the many cats who wander through often sit and stare in to this area. Well the reason many come is seed - above in the shrubs we had had a bird feeder and the much-spilled seed is deep in the grass there. Equally clearly, badger, hedgehog and mouse all love this.
But the unusual - for us dramatic - sequence was when a lovely few videos of hedgehog munching away, then becomes a series of videos with a young badger right in there beside it. For a scary moment we thought a soon-to-be-seen video might capture some ugly scene. But no. The hedgehog just hunches down (does not fully roll up) and stays still, for something like 7 minutes while the badger snuffles away at the seed - seemingly oblivious of, or certainly disinterested in the hedgehog. When the badger has moved on, the hedgehog stays still a few minutes longer, and then, seemingly unperturbed, carries on eating itself.
So here for you enjoyment are are a few of the 20 second videos - before, during and after.
BEFORE - happy hedgehog
UH-OH - someone is coming
NOW - happy badger time
AFTER - happy hedgehog again ... wholly unperturbed by the encounter
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