Here's the only half-decent footage I've managed to capture of a water shrew. Blink and you'll miss it.
The hedgehog clip is a poser, as it turns out I've mis-labelled what's going on. What I thought was the small hog's mother was in fact attempting to mount the little hog, so I can only assume this is a very small or juvenile sow being courted by a large adult boar. How old is she? How old do females have to be to start breeding?
Kate, those pictures are fantastic, absolutely lovely. Thank you for sharing them :-)
ReplyDeleteLooks like it's "anything goes" in the hedgehog world then...
ReplyDeleteGreat to see your photos - still very few vole sightings here in the last few weeks... :-\
The moorhens are thriving though - a few days ago there was a grey juvenile with 5 very small black chicks 'in tow'. I had initially wondered if she was a 'teenage mum', but then decided it was more likely that she was an older sister/cousin that was doing some 'looking after' - and I don't suppose all 5 chicks were the same brood. She was feeding them, but then an adult came along and she herself wanted to be fed. Fascinating to observe.
It's great to study individuals and get a glimpse into their secrets worlds, isn't it?
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