Monday 17 June 2013

Undulations in the dark

Being a poor sleeper, it doesn't take much to disturb my nights. Last night was a different kind of disturbance though.

I was already awake at 2.15 am, and about to try to sleep again when I heard something moving the gravel outside our front door. Of course I had to check, and could just make out in the gloom a shape undulating. Too small for a fox I thought, could be a cat. Then as my eyes became accustomed to the dark, I could see that it was not one animal, but two, either fighting or copulating, not sure which!

It was two hedgehogs, and one seemed to be making angry noises. They were nearly joined by a third, a small one which was travelling down the nearby pathway. It seemed to think better of joining in the affray and wandered off again. As we rarely see hedgehogs, it was good to know they're still around.
I didn't want either of them to hurt the other, so went downstairs and opened the front door. One scarpered immediately, the other just stayed still, not even rolling itself into a ball. It was gone this morning though, so couldn't have been badly hurt. Surprising how quickly they can move when they want.

4 comments:

  1. HeHe! I get hedgehogs outside my bedroom window..
    And, yes they are 'doing naughty things'. The males, can grunt as loud as pigs. I've looked out of my window, and seen to males fighting, and a female waiting, for the winner...! :).

    Hence the joke...
    "How do hedgehogs make love"?
    "Very Carefully". :<).

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    1. Seems as if the hedgehogs are alive and well and living in Dorset.

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  2. If the encounter was successful and you're overrun with baby hedgehogs you can send some to me. I haven't seen one here for several years - which probably explains why we have so many slugs instead!

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    1. Not seen any babies yet, and we still have plenty of slugs. We have frogs in our pond and we hope they'll help to keep the slug population down too.

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