Doorstep Wilderness
There was a familiar squeal from the garden, armed with flashlight and camera, your intrepid reporter proceeded to investigate into the current state of affairs within the doorstep wilderness… 😉
The smell of woodsmoke hung on the wind as I stepped out into the cool October evening and before I knew it I was surrounded by mini-hedgehogs…well three or four anyway…they were noisily foraging and already at their young age seemed perfectly able to take care of themselves.
Approximately a third of the size of a fully grown adult hedgehog, they seemed totally undisturbed by my presence….in fact one of them kept fearlessly homing in on my feet and camera lens.
This one got a feather stuck on its’ nose…
The next day I found one rummaging about under the bamboo in the middle of the afternoon and again this perfect mini-hedgehog seemed perfectly content with my intrusion…adult hedgehogs are far more wary….which I assume is something these patio punks still need to learn…
a heartical view 
How funny! 🙂
October 4, 2013 at 8:06 pm
Thanks Hope! 🙂 They are indeed very funny. 😉
October 4, 2013 at 8:21 pm
Wonderful set of photos, enlightening to those of us who have never had the luxury of seeing these unique mammals in the flesh!
October 7, 2013 at 7:23 pm
Thank you Nick!☺ I realise I am fortunate to live so close to hedgehogs and have been trying unsuccessfully to photograph them for years so I was happy to be able to get these shots at last.
October 7, 2013 at 9:34 pm
Ah so sweet!! Such lovely photos of this beautiful creature. I am always on the lookout for the little critters on summer nights and have spotted a couple but never actually had the chanse of photographing them. Thanks.
October 11, 2013 at 3:48 pm
Thank you Janaline! ☺ This was a rare occasion for me too, I was just so fortunate to be in the right place at the right time…they are already getting older and wiser by the day and I won’t be able to get this close again.
October 12, 2013 at 4:00 am
I am jealous of your hedgehogs. I would love to find one in my garden but see so few of them around nowadays.
November 1, 2013 at 11:39 am
I’ve collected a pile of old hedge clippings and grass etc under the shelter of the bamboo for the purpose of hibernation for hedgehogs and frogs (also invertebrates)…so I hope they’ll be ok for the winter. ☺
November 1, 2013 at 5:36 pm