How to Become a 'Hog-Spotter' February 27 2014
Honeymellow is a farm-based, family business; hence animals are always high in our priorities and inspire a lot of our signs. In the UK, it is wonderful to have so many organisations in existence which support animal welfare. Hardly, a week goes by when we are not promoting a plea for help with some research to make sure we keep all the wonderful wildlife that exists in both town and country.
Earlier this year we had the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, which asked us to spend an hour over a weekend to note down the birds we saw in our garden. More recently, this month there has been National Nestbox Week, where we were all prompted to put a bird box in our gardens - Honeymellow are still waiting for some owls to make home in a rather roomy and highly perched box on the farm. This week the Hedgehog Society want us to do a bit of 'hog-spotting', by contributing to their survey at http://bit.ly/1jCzSEr With the warmer winter and relentless rain, it is worrying that hedgehogs may have emerged out of hibernation a little too early; woken from their long sleep hungry without the abundance of food that spring brings.
At Honeymellow we love feeding our hedgehogs. During the warmer months, they scuttle along as soon as dusk falls to get their fill of Spike's hedgehog food along with some water and then, a little fatter and fuller, scuttle off again. The regularity of their visits to the garden means that 'hog-spotting' becomes a delightful daily activity but more importantly, something that has to be done everyday so that they are not left disappointed and hungry. Hence our 'hedgehog has been/not been fed' signs, are used to help remind us that someone needs to fill the bowl before dusk. A small chore for such a great reward to see these wonderful creatures daily in your garden.
So if you have a few moments to spare, support the Hedgehog Society in their 'hog-spotting' survey. If you really want to see some spiky visitors in your garden - a bowl of suitable food (see http://bit.ly/1px68fQ ) and water put out prior to dusk could mean that you get the privilege of a daily hungry hedgehog visit.