I hadn’t realised until recently, how many hedgehogs we have living around us. These incredibly shy animals are rarely seen. Mischief the Labrador has this month, developed a real skill for sniffing them out. She then barks uncontrollably at these moving balls of prickles that she discovers. Without her nose, I am afraid, I haven’t spotted any hedgehogs in the last 10 years. We would have preferred Mischief to be a truffle hunter, which would have helped vastly with our foraging. However to see a hedgehog is special enough. I am surprised about how large they are, much bigger than the fist of my hand. I keep wondering how I could have missed this creature for so long? Maybe, if you are quiet and patient, sitting outside the hut after dusk, perhaps you might be lucky enough to spot one too.
With summer now upon us, the hedges are growing wildly. In some parts they are like triffids threatening to take over. The promise is there, for all the berries they might provide in future months as well as the nests that they are hiding now. You can hear the birds rustling in their hidden nests and the dawn chorus is a real cacophony of sound. Although it does mean that walks are more limited as most paths are overgrown. You need full body covering to take a short stroll. In the current heat, the option of no scratches but melting inside thick clothing or a light summery outfit but multiple marks on arms and legs is not easy to choose between.
Perhaps it is easier, in these heady heat filled days, to just sit back, relax and enjoy the park. Make no effort to move too far at all. With luck, the wildlife might then come to you rather than you expending energy trying to seek it.