This last few nights, we have been witnessing the emergence of another star of the hedgehog videos - Alfie. This little chap (or chapess, we're not sure) has been coming into the garden for a while. He started off as one of the Tinas but he has acquired more and more marks on his spines, so that he is now very easy to identify, rather than just another Tina.
We don't know what causes the marks on the spines, but we feel that they are caused by scraping against fences and gates as they push through. Perhaps they are the result of encounters with other hedgehogs. Whatever, Alfie has more than any of the other hedgehogs.
He seems to be one of the smaller hedgehogs visiting us, but its not for want of food - he seems to get plenty to eat, but he is running all over the place.
He is still spending every day with his flatmate in 9a, but soon after dark he gets up, comes down onto the patio for a long drink and a meal, and then goes into 9b for a few hours sleep, getting up a few times for a snack, before finally going out of the garden in the early hours.
He seems quite aggressive, pushing at a number of other hedgies, although these small ones seem to put up quite some resistance.
He did get off to a bad start last night - he arrived on the patio just after Nightshift got up, and Nightshift doesn't stand for any messing around:
He was a bit more relaxed here, but probably only because he'd just woken up:
He's on good form here:
and he's just getting ready for bed with his flatmate:
This evening all the hedgehogs have been behaving a little differently from the last week. It could be a change in the weather or something, but they all seem to be taking things easy.
9d was up very early - it was still quite light. He then went straight into 9b for a snooze. Alfie got up from 9a and went into 9b, fortunately just after 9d had left. He's still in there, at 23:18.
Nightshift got up, had a big meal outside 9c, popped out of the garden for half and hour, came back, had another long meal and went back to bed.
9d came back into the garden - and went into 9b for a snooze, while Alfie was still inside. Alfie accepted it quite happily. A little later 9d got up and fell asleep in the tunnel of 9b, only to get forcibly ejected when Alfie wanted to go out.
Nightshift was asleep in the entrance of 9c.
And through all this, Alfie's flatmate is still asleep in 9a!
So, at the moment, we have a hedgehog in all four nest boxes.
We'll post some of tonight's videos in the next blog, when things have quietened down.
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Great to watch how the hogs interact with each other. Now I seem to be down to one visitor all I see is Honey eat and drink but at least I know she is still well.
ReplyDeleteInteresting in the first video to see that the female hogs (Nightshift is female, right?) also take part in the headbutting. I had wondered if it was a male thing.
ReplyDeleteWow, Alfie has got a few marks on his back, hasn't he?
Hi John and GL.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's great to watch a hedgehog, but put more than one together and it gets really interesting. We thought they had calmed down lately, with not so much butting, but Nightshift really seems to like having a go. When we first saw her she seemed to be very submissive, but she doesn't take any nonsense now. We thought she might be grumpy because she was pregnant, but maybe not... unless there'll be more tiny feet around soon.
The small ones do seem more prepared to put up a fight when challenged - instead of curling up, out go the legs and they push like crazy.
Hope you get more visitors, John. Any news of Scratchy and co while you're away, GL?
All I've heard about Scratchy and Co in my absense is that they've been getting through a whole tub of mealworms a night!
ReplyDeleteThey have great appetites! It should stand them in good stead for hibernation. Hope you're enjoying the break and getting lots of nice photos.
ReplyDelete