Wildlife March 2012

[Maggi Young]

Hedgehogs do the strangest things........

[fredg]

I thought that Maggi but MrsG says it wouldn't get under the gate to the wheelie bins.

( Makes note.... measure the gap under said gate)

[Maggi Young]

I thought that Maggi but MrsG says it wouldn't get under the gate to the wheelie bins.

( Makes note.... measure the gap under said gate)

Yup, hedgehogs do the strangest things.
Far be it from me to disagree with Mrs G.... but I think it's still a possibility.  Perhaps the photo is needed, she said, in trepidation........

[fredg]

The gap under the gate is a maximum 6cm.

MrsG informs me that the droppings pictured are medium.

[Peter Maguire]

Believe it or not, I have a field guide published in the 1960s for identification of British mammals by their tracks, bones (useful for owl pellets) and er.. droppings. They look like hedgehog droppings to me.
Bear in mind that the hedgehog would not have to go under the gate, they are supposed to be good climbers also.

[Anthony Darby]

A Hedgehog could get through a 6 cm gap.

[fredg]

Thank you Lady and Gentlemen.

It looks like I have a very well fed Hedgehog or more.

I'll be on Hedgy alert now 

[bulborum]

I just saved the eggs from green Frogs in our basin
Last year all the embryo's where eaten by salamanders
This year I was faster 

The salamander in my hand walked in our house

the frogs I saved from the road
they continued "working" 

Roland

[Maggi Young]

Thank you Lady and Gentlemen.

It looks like I have a very well fed Hedgehog or more.

I'll be on Hedgy alert now 

Yup, that's hedghog poo.

[Maggi Young]

I just saved the eggs from green Frogs in our basin
Last year all the embryo's where eaten by salamanders
This year I was faster 

The salamander in my hand walked in our house

the frogs I saved from the road
they continued "working" 

Roland

Very smart  looking Salmander 
Roland, how will you protect the egss and embryos from being eaten ....

[Anthony Darby]

Looks like a great crested newt.

[Roma]

Coming back from feeding the ponies this morning I spotted a female Siskin gathering a beakful of horsehair to line her nest.  She had quite a moustache by the time I got close enough for her to fly away.  All the local birds have nice soft horsehair linings to their nests.

[fredg]

I think it's great how those big frogs always carry the smaller ones around to help them

[Anthony Darby]

Don't often see them like this on land. Toads often give each other lifts over quite large distances.

[bulborum]

Maggie

I leave them in the crates the first few weeks
fresh water can come in
but the holes are to small for salamanders

The one on my hand was a The Great Crested Newt, also called Northern Crested Newt or Warty Newt (Triturus cristatus)

I have also some Fire Belly Newts (Cynops), or Fire Newts
and a lot of very small unidentified ones (these are the ones I saw eating the frogspawn)

Fred

I found always that woman have a hard live

R