Lockdown Diary: Thursday 4.6.20

I haven’t been out and about on my usual early morning rounds, this morning. This is entirely because I was out late last night, listening and looking for night birds. It is surprising how many birds are active at night, especially wetlands species. But it was a bit of a stinker last night, so I was driving up the road from which our little close branches, at just after 11pm.
And there was a Hedgehog in the middle of the road. So, I stopped to let it pass. But it was just hanging around not trying to get to the other side. It is a bit of a black spot for splattered Hedgehogs on this road. And this one was certain to join the unwritten accident statistics. So I put the hazard lights on, got out of my car and try to shoo Hedgy to the side of the road and into someone’s front garden. But, of course it was not for shooing and started to think about rolling up instead.
By this stage, there was one (admittedly very patient) car forced to stop behind me and another was coming straight toward me and the ‘hog. So, I thought it was time to intervene and pick him up and move him. But, they are of course prickly fellows, so I had to think on my feet. I took off my thick outer short and wrapped the Hedgehog in it.
But none of the nearby gardens were at all suitable. So, I put him (still wrapped) in my car and drove 300m home to release it in our largish and very suitable garden. Which is what I did.
I really hope it wasn’t out foraging for a family of tiny Hedgehoglets. But, even if it was, it was sure to die on the road last night. So, I think I did the right thing. I hope I did.
11.20am update: I just popped out for a breath of fresh air in the garden. I am delighted to report there was a family of Long-tailed Tits moving through the ‘canopy’. They haven’t nested in our garden but at least they are bringing the brood to feed here! It is hard to know how many youngsters there were (difficult to follow them through the leaves), but there was planty of calling. It is the first time in 20 years that I remember seeing juvenile Long-tailed Tits in the garden!