Garden Wildlife UK

i think I may have discovered a reason why my hog(s) have stopped visiting. My daughter saw a fox trot through the garden last night. It they(the hogs) have been frightened or even attacked they may choose to look elsewhere for food.

Good spot by your daughter JS. that could be a reason for not seeing any. They will take a hedgehog if they can.

Willpar wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 31, 2024 9:29 pm

Good spot by your daughter JS. that could be a reason for not seeing any. They will take a hedgehog if they can.

I didn't know that , that foxes would take a hog.

Yes butterfly, they will take a hedgehog if they can. One trick they use is to stand behind it and not move. Then when the hedgehog starts to walk which may take a while, grab hold of it by its back leg.

We always used to see hedgehogs in our back garden but for a few years now we have had none. It's such a shame the hedgehog is in such a decline. Probably a mix of pesticides, habitats vanishing and predation.

elitist wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 01, 2024 10:50 pm

We always used to see hedgehogs in our back garden but for a few years now we have had none. It's such a shame the hedgehog is in such a decline. Probably a mix of pesticides, habitats vanishing and predation.

There is an elephant in the room when it comes to predation. The hedgehog is only vulnerable to a couple of native mammals. The fox and the badger. The latter has benefitted from high protection since the mid 80s and it's numbers have soared. We are reliably informed that hogs in the countryside (where badgers are thriving) are on the decline while in towns (where badgers are a lot fewer) hogs are holding their own. No-one is prepared to openly say that the badgers are damaging the hedgehog population but the evidence is clear to me.

Looking at the cameras footage, there are three hedgehogs visiting at the moment. A large one, then a medium and a small one. On the 14th when i went out with some food there were two together in the garden.

Willpar wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 15, 2025 10:31 am

Looking at the cameras footage, there are three hedgehogs visiting at the moment. A large one, then a medium and a small one. On the 14th when i went out with some food there were two together in the garden.

The cold weather didn't deter them for long. I am waiting to see if any appear this year when the weather gets milder. I haven't seen one for a couple of months and fear they have been frightened by a fox.

Foxes can be a problem with the hedgehogs. Not a great mix.

Wet out into the garden with their food and there were three hedgehogs there.