I posted a note in the Wirral Wildlife Blog last summer about a young fox that was visiting our garden and upsetting a hungry magpie. Unfortunately the fox became a less frequent visitor after that and, eventually, it seemed to have moved on completely. However, as one interloper disappeared two others decided to get in on the act.
One afternoon we noticed movement in the leaf litter under our Red Robin hedge. It was two young hedgehogs. They didn’t seem unduly perturbed when I approached, camera in hand, to take some photos; and they certainly seemed to enjoy the sunflower hearts, fallen from the birdfeeders.
But the story moves on. The fox, not to be usurped by hedgehogs, did re-emerge some weeks later in the early evening. It looked a bit ragged so my wife raided the fridge for some cooked chicken which she put onto a tinfoil tray and placed on the lawn. This caused the fox to flee.
Night descended but in the gloom we noticed the tinfoil moving vigorously. The wanderer returns we thought. But no, it was a large, mature hedgehog, possibly a parent to the two young we had seen, having a good pre-hibernation tuck-in. We then became aware that the fox was actually close by and very aware of the treat that the hedgehog was eagerly devouring.
To our surprise the fox made only tentative efforts to displace old spiny. In fact it was so reluctant to get too close that it eventually left the potential meal and the garden. The fox had obviously learnt from painful experience but we also gained a bit of knowledge. One: Hedgehogs enjoy cooked chicken. Two: Foxes have a grudging respect for their prickly neighbours.
Les Roberts
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