Followers

Saturday, 17 February 2018

Vanishing hedgehog ?

I read a letter in the Daily Mail the other day about the decline of the hedgehog. The fox was blamed as the predator and the letter writer had witnessed foxes killing and eating our little spiney friends. I am glad to say there were follow-up letters denouncing this and giving the true reasons, such as the loss of hedgerows, concreting and paving of gardens, over-use of insecticides and rat poisons. In gardens such as mine they thrive. Almost every night through-out the year several visit my garden, my infra-red cameras have recorded thousands of  such visits and often, as the picture shows, they share the food with the foxes, they have no fear of the fox and often eat together. The most that I have recorded is 2 foxes and 3 hedgehogs on the lawn together at any one time. I am considering buying some up-to-date infra-red equipment and get some really good pictures. Badgers are a bit of a problem for the hog as they can unfurl it when it rolls into a ball in defence. Fortuneately badgers don't come into my garden.
Posted by at

2 comments:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Mike Attwood - Photographer

Loading...

Blog Archive

About Me

My photo
Evacuated during the second world war to a village in Yorkshire where I lived in the home of a good photographer for more than five years who taught me the basics and a great deal about nature. Well past retirement age I have been a wildlife photographer for more than 30 years. Red Kites have been my speciality for much of this period. I did spend several years snapping wheelchair athletes and organizing the British Road Race Championship. In the year 2000 I was awarded a distinction by the Royal Photographic Society for my portfolio on wheelchair athletes. Most of my pics are digital, using Sony cameras and Sigma lenses. I used to spend many weeks each year with friends in Wales which is close to the Elan Valleys where I got many of my raptor pics. I now get these pictures more closely to home, specially red kites and peregrines. I support my pension by selling my pics, cards, coasters, fridge magnets and key rings etc. at craft fairs, something I wish I had done much earlier in life. I give illustrated talks to clubs and societies on wildlife and other branches of photography that I have been involved in.