Death in the garden

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biddybeth
biddybeth Member Posts: 45
edited 23. Jun 2010, 09:13 in Community Chit-chat archive
Hi all, Feeling very sad today. Got up to find four dead baby hedgehogs in my back garden. I watched the Mum going back and forth a few weeks ago, making the nest. Was so excited. Don't know what has happened, whether she abandoned them or what. Just waiting for husband to get back from golf. Don't think it could have been a fox, for one thing we have a very safe enclosed courtyard garden, even cats have great difficulty getting in, and as far as I can make out there's no sign of attack. Oh, they are so sweet, what a shame. A blight on the most beautiful hot sunny day. Bless them. Love, Beth

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  • tkachev
    tkachev Member Posts: 8,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    What a shame Biddybeth. I love hedgehogs. I can only think mum went off and the little ones could not survive without her.New borns are very vulnerable.

    You take care in your beautiful garden. Rosies and peonies, how lovely.
    Elizabeth
    Never be bullied into silence.
    Never allow yourself to be made a victim.
    Accept no ones definition of your life

    Define yourself........

    Harvey Fierstein
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Could be that cold got them, it's not a typical June is it? We had two dead tiny, tiny baby birds after a very windy Sunday. We had nesting hedgehogs a few years ago, but they have not returned. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • abbie41
    abbie41 Member Posts: 55
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    It could well be the cold, it was real freezing last night! my poor dog was shivering and I wrapped her in a cosy blanket on the end of my bed. Poor hedgehogs, what a sad thing to find on a sunny morning :cry:
  • biddybeth
    biddybeth Member Posts: 45
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi everyone, thanks for your sympathetic messages. Don't suppose we shall ever find out the cause. Me, being me, will want to bury them under a tree or somewhere, but OH (men!!!) will no doubt sling them in newspaper in the bin. I don't know what it is about our garden, but last year, we had sparrows nesting in our tall hedge, came down one morning to find very tiny baby on the patio. OH said to leave it, and sure enough the mother was coming to feed it, with great difficulty we noticed. Anyway, when I looked closer it didn't have eyes. It kept moving away from the mother when she was trying to feed it. This went on for two weeks in all weathers, and every morning I would secretly hope it would be gone, but no it would still be there, and it was awkward as we felt we couldn't sweep up or anything. To cut a long story short ( I haven't really, but never mind) I found it dead. The nice part of the story is that some of the other babies appear to have come back into the garden, at least I like to think that!!!. Beth x
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Nature has her own ways, checks and balances. Man interferes too much, methinks. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • skezier
    skezier Member Posts: 11,333
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi Beth,

    Its sad cus hedgehogs are having bit of a survival problem now. Its likely either she abandoned them for health/lack of milk/inexperienced or she has been killed. The cold would have got to them as well and well maybe with luck next time will be a much happier outcome.

    We don't really get them ere very often, its a bit too open but occasionally you do get really big ones, I mean really big...... Frightened the life out of me it was that big and clearly not a rabbit and I wasn't sure what it was in the dark by torchlight :lol::lol::lol: Cris x
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Mating cats is nightly wildlife I could do without. What a racket. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • speedalong
    speedalong Member Posts: 3,315
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Ooh Beth, what a shame. I love hedgehogs. We always had resident hedgehogs in our garden as children ... only ever seen one in all the time I have lived in the Midlands ...

    Speedy
    I have had OA since mid twenties. It affects my hips and knees. I had a THR on the left aged 30 and now have a resurface-replacement on the right - done May 2010.
  • bubbles
    bubbles Member Posts: 6,508
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Aw, bless, that's sad. We love hedgehogs and hate to hear of things like this. Very sad. Difficult to say what caused their demise. XX Hugs, Bubbles
    XX Aidan (still known as Bubbles).
  • suncatcher
    suncatcher Member Posts: 2,174
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Im sorry to hear this i love the spiky little fellows so lovely how sad from joanne
    Joanne
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Whereabouts do you live biddybeth? I ask because it is cold here tonight, I'm in East Anglia. It's been a very dull, cold and gloomy day, and the night is chilly. I think perhaps cold got them. I have been outside - see some prat has a vuvu thread. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    I've just found a dead dragonfly in the bathroom - isn't it a little early for them? I associate them with mid-late July and August. Mind you, nature is not my strong point! DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,483
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    ALREADY?!!

    I dont really like them...not as much as I hate sp*ders though :shock:

    Will watch out for them

    May flies actually 'sound' really nice Babycham :)

    Love

    Toni xx
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Long and thin, dark in colour, possibly black, with the double set of wings. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • skezier
    skezier Member Posts: 11,333
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi DD and Babycham,

    I thought it was the other way round and the may flies are brown.... got load of them here from about 2 weeks ago and they would be early for the dragons though if warm enough..... Shall go google a mayfly.... xx
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