My prickly friend

Finally snow again. Great.... I hope it will snow some more and that it will stay for a few days. I love it, I love the cold. It's better then rain for me.

Because I heard there was snow coming I decided to work in the garden on Saturday. Everything is dead and hanging on the ground. It really is a mess. I just wanted to cut the long stems and leave the leafs on the ground. A lot of people unfortunately remove all stuff from the ground but you should really leave it there.

Why? .........For the hedgehogs.(egels) Hedgehogs give birth in september, oktober. Not many people know it. So they need the dead leafs for their nests but also during wintertime as a hiding place. That's also why you see a lot of dead hedgehogs on the road during the autumn because this is the time they are going to look for food for their babies. 

And if you see a hedgehog on the road during the day it is almost certain something is wrong. 

Most of the times it is a young hedgehog looking for food. They only walk during the day if they are hungry.... unfortunately that mostly happens when mam didn't return to the nest. So after waiting for a long time they are looking for food on there own. If you see one try to monitor it from a distance to see if there are more. And if you see them check if the mothers around and otherwise bring it to the hedgehog care or give them a call.

They are specialized in this. Many people put milk on a plate for them but that will kill them. So please don't do this. You can give them cat-food. But please do give them milk,give water instead.

So when Saturdaymorning the sun was shining, I put some old clothes on and took my tools and went into the garden. After a while I looked up and saw something moving around in the garden. It was too small for a cat so I looked again and saw a hedgehog walking on the small garden path. I waited a while and when it moved to the house I quickly passed it and took my camera. I didn't want to come close so I took my tele-lens. I went outside again and that was the moment he saw me. It freezed and looked at me. I made myself small by laying on the ground and took some shots. I did it quickly because I didn't want to scare him. I went back in the garden and watched him from a distance. He came back into the garden and went to the neighbors. They always go this side. I didn't follow him but now I am checking every day to see if there are more or see something strange. 

So please if you have a garden be aware of them and leave the old stuf on the ground.