Millie's new hoglets!!

Yes, Millie is a Mum again! Frantic collecting of hay etc. on Sunday and today Millie definately has baby hoglets, but we shall not disturb them, we will wait and see how things progress. We will keep you posted.

We are really busy here at Hill Top. The shippen conversion is going well. Roof completely off and new floor well on its way etc.

We had a real surprise today as cousin Eva from Evesham called in to say hello. The boys were keen for her to try out the new woodland play area and as you can see, she's a dab hand at the monkey bars! She also met all the animals, including our redfoot tortoise.

Everyone at the CFZ is working really hard preparing for the Weird Weekend. Dave, Ross & Greg are all at Jon's this afternoon helping. The annual Weird Weekend starts this Friday - it is an event you should not miss!

Dodo is really growing and doing so well. We will post a new picture up tomorrow.

Bye for now.

DoDo

Hello. Today has brought sadness and happiness to Hill Top. This morning the boys were up at the crack of dawn feeding the hoglets. They were both girls and were named Lucky and Angel. They have fed really well during the day, but this evening Lucky began jumping, almost like fitting, and then sadly she died at about 9pm. Angel fed again tonight, but these first few days are the most difficult and we just pray that Angel will survive.

On a different note, Roy came home from work with a baby pigeon that someone had given to him. He was rejected from the nest and had been rescued by some children.

He is really small and at first glance he looked like a duck, but Beth confirmed that it is a baby pigeon. He is feeding really well and is kept with the hoglet in a warm box by the aga. Ross and Greg have called him DoDo!

I don't know if you remember the story of the seal spotted off Lundy Island on my blog of the 18th of June - we were appealing for help. Apparently this picture is now on the front page of today's North Devon Journal. I haven't seen it yet, but let's hope someone can help free him from the fishing net.

More great updates tomorrow. Goodnight from everyone at Hill Top.

Millie's Hoglets!

Hello everyone.

Early evening, around 6pm there were horrible, loud, hissing noises coming from the hedgehog nest. A hedgehog had been seen out late this afternoon collecting hay etc. but had gone back into the nest. We took the lid off and realised that Millie had given birth to three hoglets. One was already half eaten by one of the males and the others were being attacked. We managed to rescue two - both having been bitten. In the past we had put the pregnant mum in a separate cage to have her babies, but this time there had been no time. It was a case of leaving them in the nest, where they would undoubtedly have been eaten (as one of them had already been) or rescuing them and hand rearing them. We chose the latter.

The hoglets were very cold and Ross and Greg have been holding them to keep them warm this evening. They have just now had their second feed tonight. They have warmed up beautifully and are currently in a cardboard box, in a lovely soft warm bed, beside the aga. It seems we have two girls.

Ross and Greg are thinking of names and will let you know tomorrow. We shall continue with regular feeds and hope they make it through the night, as they were very cold and in shock.

There's never a dull moment here at Hill Top. More Tails tomorrow.

Goodnight!

Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly

Hello!

Sad news today I'm afraid. Mrs.Tiggywinkle's hoglets were all found dead this morning just outside the nest. There were in fact four hoglets, but they have all died. We'll never really know the reasons why.

Following my blog entry on the 30th of June, which showed a picture of a dragonfly, which had been in our conservatory. We asked if anyone knew what kind of dragonfly it was.

Peter of The British Dragonfly Society kindly emailed us and said: -

"Your dragonfly is a female Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa) - the male has a blue abdomen. They spend about two years as larvae in still water and then live for a few weeks as adults. Apart from when breeding the females tend not to visit water very often".

Thank you for that Peter. We shall continue to look out for Dragonflies, and will no doubt be in touch again.

More Hill Top Tails tomorrow.