Hogs in decline

I expect most people have seen the news that the Hedgehog population in the UK has fallen by by 50% since the year 2000. Like so many statistics that bring us bad news, it actually masks a far worse situation. Between the year 1972 and 2000 the population had already halved. This means that since Pam and I watched a family of Hedgehogs on our lawn in Crayford the population had reduced to a quarter. Nearly always number and changes in species populations are related to time not very distantly past. I am sure that this means the generation now growing up, and hopefully more conscious of the problems that the word wildlife has, are actually unaware as to how fast most other species are declining. I remember when I was not much older than my birding Grandsons are now, the fantastic number of migrants that could be seen on the east coast after a fall. A look at the ringing totals of most observatories will show that these days have gone, and what is considered the norm would have been very disappointing in 1961.
This was reported in 2014 "The number of wild animals on Earth has halved in the past 40 years, according to a new analysis. Creatures across land, rivers and the seas are being decimated as humans kill them for food in unsustainable numbers, while polluting or destroying their habitats, the research by scientists at WWF and the Zoological Society of London found."
A few species are prospering, but a world full of feral cats, feral Pigeons, Wood Pigeons, domesticated animals raised for food, and those species that our gun toting Country "sportsman" like to kill, is not a very appealing world. While some of the iconic species are making the headlines all the time, it is important we realise that the prospect of the biggest mass extinction ever is not only possible, but probably inevitable unless human behaviour is modified drastically in the very near future.
The pictures were taken in 2005, we haven't had a record of one in the garden for the last two years.

I'm a Hog for you Baby!

It isn't only Badgers that pay us a visit after dark. Most of the animals caught on camera are cats, a strange thing that everyone who has a pet cat believes it is acceptable that it goes off hunting in someone else's garden!

Last night saw the first Hedgehog visit that I've seen this year, hopefully it will stick around and get stuck into the slug population that has flourished in the wet weather.

The Hedgehog arrived at 10.04 pm and didn't stay very long. Despite the reputation that Badgers have as the only predator that will take a hedgehog we have never seen any interaction between then, even when, in previous years, they've turned up at the peanuts at the same time.

Normally the Hedgehogs have kept there heads down and then sneaked off while the Badgers are feeding.

This Fox appeared at 4.15 am, and was the second one last night. The first bit of video was too dark because the Fox nipped in from the side and was in and out before it tripped the light.

The wrong sort of tick?

Today can't go by with out mentioning on the number of Painted Ladies that have arrived in the country in the last few days. Many people have noticed and commented on them. Dave Hall phoned to say that they were everywhere over Bockhill Farm and for the first time ever there was one in my moth trap last night. Other migrants included a Silver Y and several Diamond backed Moths. When I went out to the moth trap last night I was pleased to see a Bat flying round the garden, but I couldn't identify the species.

The female Badger is still visiting for a treat of a few peanuts but she doesn't normally arrive until one or two in the morning. She seems totally oblivious to me, just through the glass and hardly takes any notice when the flask goes off. I've found that if the lens is right up to the glass it works OK with no reflection getting back to the lens, so I took this lying on the floor almost at the same level as the badger with the camera up against the window.

The Hedgehog actually arrived first, and spent a long time just nibbling a couple of nuts. As usual you can see a large tick on this animal. I don't know why Hedgehogs are so susceptible to this parasite but the can be so badly infested that there health is badly infected. It may be that scuttling through low vegetation makes them vulnerable.

Midnight feast

I've been putting a plate of peanuts out for the Badgers that come into the garden. They normally come very late, 1-2 am and I seldom see them at the moment. Sometimes a Hedgehog comes and gets a few earlier. One of the Badgers has also learnt to open the door of a "Greenhouse type" of conservatory on the side of the house. I even move a 25kg bag of sand that I put to hold the door closed. I've had to stop storing my bin of peanuts in there!

I took this picture, with the camera flash, through the close window and it had little affect on the Hedgehog, and it just got on with eating.

When I slowly slid the door open it did hesitate for a few seconds but soon the lure of the peanuts overcame its' caution.

But after one flash it put its' head down and stayed like that until I completely disappeared. Hedgehogs often stay ate the plate for quite a long time but don't actually eat many nuts. Badgers on the other hand seldom leave any behind.

Hogging it

No sooner had I said that I hadn't seen a Hedgehog this year then one appeared at the Badgers supper plate.

This one seemed very nervous and when I tried to get a better angle from the window it must of heard me moving and it trotted off to the bushes. Hedgehogs, like most animals are happy to supplement their diet of worms and slugs with peanuts.

At least one Badger has been coming regularly, and when I look at this photograph I realised that this is a mother, presumably still with sucking youngsters. It is not at all reliable in its timing and, several times I've either missed it or only seen it briefly. Last night it arrived at about 12.15 a.m. and stayed for about 20 minutes. As I was locking up and turning the lights out I was treated to the sight of it running down the garden at quite a speed. I don't know what had spooked it, I was inside and I saw it by the light of the moth trap, but it had a surprisingly quick turn of speed and a very bounding gait.

When I went out to the moth traps this morning I was greeted by various alarm calls because circling over head was one of the local Sparrowhawks. I'm always amazed at how the Starling group together and chase after the predator, in tight formation. I guess that there is some advantage in this behaviour but disappearing into the eaves would be my choice!