quidnovis61

Prickles has been "OUR" hedgehog for a number of years now. He comes every summer from Somewhere and every autumn he goes Somewhere. On warm evenings in late May we sit in our glassed in Sun Lounge drinking tea. The Scandinavian sun sets late at night and we are able to enjoy the sights and smells and sounds of our garden, very late in the night.  Suddenly one hears the distinctive shuffle-shuffle and snuffle-snuffle. And then we know...Summer is here to stay - Prickles is back! just like all the rest of our bird and animal friends. Mr and Mrs Singh our blackbird couple, Mr and Mrs Wagtail who nest on our roof, Gregory Peck our woodPECKer giving himself quite a migraine sometimes by mistaking the street lamp post for a birch tree and making such a noise! And Bob-Robin who spends his time on our garden bench sunning himself under the apple tree. Dear Lucy and all her deer friends who dare to come in the early mornings to forage for fresh juicy grass and other deer-snacks. And of course Harry the Hare and his friends...

This summer I have taken quite a few pictures of Prickles. He has been rather bold and brave and did not scuttle away into the undergrowth at the sight of my Olympus - but instead stayed put and almost seemed to smile at my camera and twinkle with his intelligent black eyes.

     
(Prickles under the apple tree)



   

In Sweden, hedgehogs are actually protected by law. You are not allowed to catch or (naturally) hurt them. If we find hurt or underweight hedgehogs out during winter then we may take care of them of course until they can be returned to Nature. I read in the newspaper of a couple who were driving south towards Gothenburg and found a few young hedgehog by the roadside, their mother unfortunately killed in traffic, The couple picked up the young ones and drove nearly 20 kms out of their way to a pet clinic to leave the hedgehogs in protection and care before driving back again towards Gothenburg. I was happy and touched to read that in the newspaper - it certainly gave a much-needed balance in the otherwise violent-war-torn world we live in.

I have read that hedgehogs have changed very little over 13 million years. It is mindboggling. They are nocturnal and live on various insects and are by far the most eco-friendly insecticide one can think of.  Etymologically, the name 'hedgehog' is derived from Middle English and came into use about 1450. As the name aptly suggests it is from Middle English "hegge" which is hedge; and "hogge" which is hog - as it has a snout rather like a pig.

All hedgehogs are nocturnal but some, like Prickles, who is a European species, can come out in the late evening or at sundown and keep close to bushes, hedges, dead leaves and one hears the sudden rustle in the foliage and then you know...! In the harsh winters of Northern Europe they hibernate all winter - P.O is rather jealous of Prickles. He would like nothing better than to duck under the quilt and not have to surface until the pale warmth of spring....

This winter we are certainly blessed!!

A few weeks ago I was autumn-cleaning our open garage (a car port) and found a plastic shopping bag lying under the shelves where we have a few garden and car knick knacks, winter tyres, flower pots and so on. So I pulled it out and the bag got sort of stuck under the shelves and so I tugged it a bit harder to see what was in the bag and to my utter amazement, when I lifted it up and looked inside I found....PRICKLES - all curled up into a tight ball of quills and snuffling rather disapprovingly at me for spoiling his diurnal snooze! He had apparently found a dark cozy place under the shelves and a warm home in the bag...although one does question his intelligence at his choice of home being a plastic bag... but I soundly believe in the democratic right to choose our living quarters...so I left the bag open on the ground hoping that I had not hurt him - and that he would crawl out and find a better place to rest all winter.

After a couple of hours I went to check again and the second surprise of the day lay in store for me. The plastic bag was gone! Amazed yet again I went to the shelf and looked underneath...lo and behold! There was the bag! Prickles had crawled right back again taking his plastic home with him - and there he is till today.

I am sure he is out at night in the dark, foraging for food and just like in a fairy tale, at day break he is back again in his plastic home sleeping in the dark corner of our car port. Yes, we know he is there...there are tiny droppings in front of the car. It will all be part of the spring cleaning of our car port in April 2009.

Yes, I feel so blessed.....