I had wondered if not nesting near a pond was an evolutionary reaction to flooding. I guess hibernating near a body of water isn't the best thing to do but the idea it's because predators could be attracted to the water is a great idea.
Interestingly the only hedgehogs we have had hibernate in out garden (to our knowledge anyway) have done so under our shed which is only a few feet from our pond. We also have a small pond in our front garden and there is a hedgehog living in our log pile (stick mad dog) there. I was going to build a hedgehog house to put around that area and although I still will, it will be interesting if the water puts anything off living in it.
I have got hedgehog houses but their use is erratic. The first one I got took a while before anyone went in and then when they did, it was just for naps between wanders, no permanent residents. I had one very brief resident but they were injured and had to be put to sleep. Another took up residence for a couple of weeks during which there was some squabbling over it with another male but they moved on shortly after. It was occupied again not long after but by another poorly hedgehog. We took her to a rescue and she was back all well again not long after but didn't stay in it beyond her return. I guess she didn't feel secure after having been woken up and taken to a strange place. I took the opportunity while it wasn't being used to clean it out and put new straw in but no one's set paw in it since 🤷♀️ I put a second smaller one out which had the hedgehog from earlier in the year take up residence for about a week but he's just gone off and is only coming back for food again now. Hedgehogs gonna hedgehog I guess.
I too had the first year ignored @februarysgirl , second year naps between feeds, and not until the third year did anyone take up residence. Then it has been every year since a home for this year's youngsters, dropped off by their mothers and left to overwinter. All appeared to be males, as come spring they leave ( and because of their size) and not all of them return to feed either.
@purplerallim Was out in the garden yesterday evening and heard some sneezing from behind the firepit which sounded very much like our hedgehog. I went back out there around the time he usually gets up and not long after he came out. I'd put more straw in the entrance of both of the houses during the day and last night he was back in one of them. The one I'd really rather he wasn't in of course 😂
I have two visitors @februarysgirl who go in the corner where two nest areas are, but whether they are using them I'm not sure. It's too overgrown at the moment, but will get a bit of a tidy soon at which time the boxes will be checked and new bedding added. It's so much easier when the plants loose their leaves to see back there.😁
I have discovered this morning something that looks like hedgehog poo on the path that leads to a trivet with water. I never thought that there could hedgehogs in our area.
I found this link and will start soon to build a house, which makes me happy as I don’t have to spend a penny 😀
We're very excited that a hedgehog is taking up residence under our shed. We saw it trundling down the garden path from the big pile of dried vegetation next to the compost heap (I've been scything the "meadow"), with hay trailing from its mouth, yesterday in the early morning. We watched it make 3 trips back and forth, squeezing under the shed with its bedding each time. We haven't seen it since, but don't have a wildlife camera to see what it gets up to at night.
Is this likely to be a female making a nest for giving birth? Or just a casual sleeping place? And will it be disturbed by my clumping about in the shed?
I've put out a big plant saucer of water - it's very dry at the moment here in Ireland. No food though because there are rats around. Plenty of worms, slugs & beetles in the garden though.
Should I be doing anything else?
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Of course it may be a male who's found a cosy place to set up home. That's the beauty of hedgehogs, you're never quite sure 🦔
The main problem if it is late brood, is making sure that they're big enough to face the oncoming Winter. Many rescues take in small hoglets and end up looking after them until releasing them in the Spring.
The water is definitely a good thing. Normally l'd suggest putting out food as well, but if you have rats in the area it may prove tricky without going to the trouble of setting up a feeding station. It sounds as though they have plenty of natural food supplies available though.
I don't think your going in and out of the shed will disturb the hedgehog too much, but it might be worth reducing the visits if you can. If if is a female and she is disturbed she will usually find a new location and move the hoglets, but worse case scenario she will abandon the nest and them with it.
If you have a local rescue near you it might be worth making a note of their number just in case.
Thanks very much, @AnniD - I'm already dropping hints to my OH about a trailcam as a present.
Your links are very useful! I found an Irish hedgehog site, where I was able to record the sighting with details about what the hog was doing, which was nice. (The site said it was most probably a female, as you suggest, since it was clearly healthy but out in daylight.) Apparently the winter mortality is a lot lower here because our minimum temperature doesn't often go below -5C (-6.8 is the lowest I've recorded in the 3 winters we've been here), but I'll certainly keep a lookout for hoglets. And yes, there's a local rescue not far away, called The Hogsprickle...
Thanks again.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
This last winter we had a resident hedgehog . Came in Autumn and stayed. Clearly that years youngster. I too worried it would survive the winter, as it was on the small side, but it continued to come every night for food all winter, it never hibernated. So late young can survive, with a bit of help @Liriodendron .😁
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Interestingly the only hedgehogs we have had hibernate in out garden (to our knowledge anyway) have done so under our shed which is only a few feet from our pond. We also have a small pond in our front garden and there is a hedgehog living in our log pile (stick mad dog) there. I was going to build a hedgehog house to put around that area and although I still will, it will be interesting if the water puts anything off living in it.
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/how-to-make-a-hedgehog-house.html
I ♥ my garden.
Is this likely to be a female making a nest for giving birth? Or just a casual sleeping place? And will it be disturbed by my clumping about in the shed?
I've put out a big plant saucer of water - it's very dry at the moment here in Ireland. No food though because there are rats around. Plenty of worms, slugs & beetles in the garden though.
Should I be doing anything else?
Although it's late in the year, the warm weather we've had means it's possible that she's preparing for a late brood of hoglets.
https://www.arkwildlife.co.uk/blog/all-about-hedgehogs/
Of course it may be a male who's found a cosy place to set up home. That's the beauty of hedgehogs, you're never quite sure 🦔
The main problem if it is late brood, is making sure that they're big enough to face the oncoming Winter. Many rescues take in small hoglets and end up looking after them until releasing them in the Spring.
The water is definitely a good thing. Normally l'd suggest putting out food as well, but if you have rats in the area it may prove tricky without going to the trouble of setting up a feeding station. It sounds as though they have plenty of natural food supplies available though.
I don't think your going in and out of the shed will disturb the hedgehog too much, but it might be worth reducing the visits if you can.
If if is a female and she is disturbed she will usually find a new location and move the hoglets, but worse case scenario she will abandon the nest and them with it.
If you have a local rescue near you it might be worth making a note of their number just in case.
Loads of information here
https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/
Finally, if possible l would advise borrowing or buying a trailcam. It's amazing what can go on in your garden at night !
Hope this helps
* Edited to add, l see it was early in the morning so l'm guessing in daylight? I would put my money on a female, nest building.
Your links are very useful! I found an Irish hedgehog site, where I was able to record the sighting with details about what the hog was doing, which was nice. (The site said it was most probably a female, as you suggest, since it was clearly healthy but out in daylight.) Apparently the winter mortality is a lot lower here because our minimum temperature doesn't often go below -5C (-6.8 is the lowest I've recorded in the 3 winters we've been here), but I'll certainly keep a lookout for hoglets. And yes, there's a local rescue not far away, called The Hogsprickle...
Thanks again.