After Springwatch filmed here,I decided to try to set up an outside hedgehog feeding station as well as the one inside the hedgehog box. Last year, I had up to 5 hedgehogs visiting and there is not enough room in the box. It would be good to see them in the open and apparently, they spent quite a lot of time snuffling around out there according to the BBC wildlife cameraman, Mark.
I wanted to shelter the bowl a little from the rain and also have a frame on which to mount the camera and IR lights.
I choose 4 logs from my log pile and cut them to the same length and then screwed some batons on to make a basic frame. I then put some batons across to build a simple roof.
Using some bark I had collected, I create a natural looking roof…
I mounted a small nest box high resolution camera onto the side and tried a little IR array I had, in order to light the area sufficiently. I use a similar one in the hedgehog box.
I then placed the whole thing up in the same area as the hedgehog and my waterhole. The hedgehogs regularly use this waterhole as well. Unfortunately, last night , the light was not very good. Today, I have changed it around a bit and we’ll wait until it is dark to see whether I have got it right. The trouble with setting up cameras for night-time viewing is that you really have to wait until it is dark to see how the IR illumination looks… check this camera out on my live streams at night and hopefully we will see lots of hedgehogs taking advantage of my ‘Prickly Diner’ in the coming months!
