Category: Wildlife

Hamworthy Hedgehog rescue are back to give you some autumn advice on all things “hedgehog”.

Hibernating or just sleeping? 

Hedgehogs are one of the few mammals that are true hibernators. Hibernation is a complicated and often perilous energy conservation strategy. It is not just ‘going to sleep’. In sleep, all bodily functions remain nearly normal. But in hibernation, the metabolism is almost at a standstill.

During hibernation, hedgehogs drop their body temperature to match their surroundings and enter a state of torpor. This allows them to save a lot of energy but slows down all other bodily functions making normal activity impossible.

Building up fat reserves

Those hedgehogs visiting your garden over the next month will be trying to get as much body fat built up as possible. This is so that they can be ready to hibernate – so please do keep providing food and water for your visiting hedgehogs.

Please note that hedgehogs are nocturnal animals and ordinarily will not be out and about during daylight hours. If you do see one, there is every likelihood that it is in some kind of difficulty. It may require professional assistance. As with every rule, there are always exceptions; if the hog that you’ve spotted looks very active and busy please try to observe before intervening. Don’t forget that we are dealing with live, wild creatures and each case will be different.

How do I know if a hedgehog needs help? 

It is generally considered that hedgehogs who are less than 600 – 650 grams by the end of October are too small to hibernate, and are unlikely to survive the winter. However, here in the South, if it remains mild this can be stretched on into November. Once we have a frost, any hogs under 600g will be in trouble.

Any small hedgehog that you see out after October is in serious trouble, and will be desperately looking for food to increase its weight in order to hibernate. This will be difficult because its natural food is declining.

How to help a hedgehog in trouble

These hedgehogs must be rescued and over-wintered by a suitably equipped hedgehog rescue/carer. If you should find such a hedgehog pick it up and place it into a high sided, escape-proof box. Fill a hot water bottle or a pop bottle with hot water and wrap it in a towel. Place the towel-wrapped hot water bottle or pop bottle in the bottom of the box and pop the hedgehog in next to it. Place another towel over the hedgehog and close the box – be aware, hedgehogs can climb out of boxes!

Then phone us (Hamworthy Hedgehog Rescue) on 07587 925476, or alternatively call the BHPS on 01584 890 801 for details of your local hedgehog rescue.

If you are ever worried about the health or welfare of a hedgehog, please call the British Hedgehog Preservation Society on 01584 890801. They will be able to give you advice, and put you in touch with a local rescue centre if necessary.

New park residents 

For the last week or so we have had some new winter residents on the shoreline, the latest visitors being a pair of Great Black-backed Gulls.

They are often seen in Lytchett Bay and Holes Bay but not usually along the park shoreline. The picture does not do them justice, but they are very impressive and very large!

Giant seagulls

This gull is the worlds largest and it becomes most noticeable when it spreads its wings for take off, it has a wingspan of just over five feet.

It is also quite long-lived at least one being recorded as 27 years old.

Wagtails

The wagtail is the most common small bird found in the park and has a year-round presence. We were talking to a lady in the Coop last week about the birds in the park, and she had some photos of this cheeky little wagtail.

There are two kinds – a grey wagtail and a yellow wagtail. Slightly confusingly, the grey wagtail can have some yellow in its feathers as can be seen below. But, the yellow wagtail is much more yellow than that!

As you can see, they are tiny and easily startled. So well done for getting close enough for a picture!

Black swans

On the same day, we had reports that a pair of black swans were visiting Hamworthy park – we couldn’t run down with our cameras because we were tied down at Coop. But luckily, the wonderful park users came to the rescue with these amazing photos.

It may be deepest, darkest winter but there is still plenty of wildlife in Hamworthy Park.

The Turnstones are still turning stones – we reckon there are 25 in the photo below, but they naturally camouflage themselves against the rocks, so there could be more.

We had a flock of 18 visiting Brent Geese just recently but when we returned with camera in hand a few days later only one remained. This is rather unusual as normally they stay together.  This solitary one remained with us for two weeks before disappearing – hopefully going off to join the rest in Holes Bay.

Here is some wildlife that is a bit more controversial.  If only the gulls could find somewhere else to roost as they make such a mess on the children’s swings.

And finally, don’t panic! It’s not what you may think at first glance. Luckily,  this turned out not to be a snake, but just part of a child’s stuffed toy.

We mentioned the Turnstones in a previous post, and by now many of you will have seen them scurrying along the foreshore in the park. Well, over the past couple of weeks the number of resident Turnstones has increased and in the picture, you can see a few on the shoreline doing their signature move – turning stones.

They have been joined just offshore by a number of other winter migrants, possibly greylag geese? If you can identify these lovely birds, then let us know!

This gaggle of them, eighteen in number, were seen busily swimming around in circles occasionally dipping their heads in the water to grab a tasty morsel.

We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled over the winter for more rare visitors to our beautiful park.