avocetsue

[avocetsue @avocet555]

@pricklelodge Thank you so much for taking the time to care for our senior hedgehog.

[avocetsue @avocet555]

@philcheeseman4 Great photos, is this at Maiden Newton?

[avocetsue @avocet555]

@pricklelodge Although Prickle Lodge are incredibly busy at this time of year with all the other hedgehogs they are caring for, they had no hesitation accepting Burberry for treatment. And yes we have added yet another hedgehog house awaiting his return.

[avocetsue @avocet555]

@philcheeseman4 Has the vegetation been cut back this season or is it still overgrown?

[Chris Ryde @LandguardNot]

And all you have got to do is let something grow and don't create a biological desert with plastic lawns, paving etc

[avocetsue @avocet555]

@pricklelodge How common is it for hedgehogs to sleep together? I thought they were solitary creatures.

[Ffortescue @Ffortescue3]

Very important message from @pricklelodge to help hedgehogs emerging from hibernation. Please read and share.

[Sama Hoole @SamaHoole]

Southern Spain produces strawberries year-round for European supermarkets. The farms are centered around Huelva, directly adjacent to Doñana National Park, one of Europe's most important wetlands and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The strawberry farms are illegally draining the wetland. There are 1,000+ illegal wells stealing groundwater from the aquifer that feeds Doñana. The park is drying up. Lagoons that existed for thousands of years are now dry earth. Bird populations that migrate to Doñana are collapsing because their wetland habitat is disappearing.

Spanish authorities know this. Environmental groups have documented it. The EU has threatened sanctions. Nothing changes because the strawberry industry is politically powerful and the farms employ thousands of workers.

The workers are primarily migrants from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa, living in plastic shanty towns with no running water, no sanitation, and no electricity. They're paid €30 to €35 per day for 10 to 12 hour shifts in 40°C heat picking strawberries.

Spanish police raid these settlements periodically, destroying shelters and forcing people to scatter, then they return and rebuild because there's nowhere else to go. The farms need the cheap labor. The migrants need the work. The exploitation continues.

The strawberries are also drenched in pesticides. Huelva uses some of the highest pesticide application rates in Europe. The groundwater contamination is so severe that wells in nearby towns exceed safe limits for pesticide residue.

Your "fresh" strawberries in February required destroying a UNESCO wetland, exploiting migrant workers, contaminating groundwater, and breaking EU environmental law.

But they're organic and plant-based, so you're definitely making ethical choices.

[Hedgehog Cabin @HedgehogCabin]

If you regularly feed the hedgehogs visiting your garden, first of all thank you for your kindness and generosity - you are a life saver.
But sooner or later you will have a visitor who is sick and needs taking to a wildlife rescue (never a vet) for treatment.
Because the need is so urgent it's a stressful time, so it's good to be prepared in advance.
In the UK rescues are not regulated or licensed in any way, and there is no regulating body.
This means anyone can call themselves a rescue and set up, without any training or experience at all. Although there are many brilliant, dedicated and
knowledgeble rescues in the country, unfortunately there are also lots of bad, ill informed, or charlatan 'rescues'.
And some outright scams.
So as now is the quietest time of year for genuine rescues, it's an ideal time for you to do some research, find your nearest good rescue (Google 'hedgehog rescue near me' and it'll bring up a list of rescues in order of distance from you) and ask questions.
That's your first clue:
1. A good genuine rescue will always welcome questions.
Ask a couple like, "Are treated hedgehogs always returned to their finder?"and "What do you feed the patients?" If they've posted about an admission, ask about their progress.
A bad or scam 'rescue' will often block you online, or change the subject.
2. Read their socials, and their website (check out the link. Scammers often post a website link that leads nowhere, just looks good), see who follows them and who doesn't. If you know and trust a good rescue you can use what they say and do as a yardstick to compare other rescues by.
(You can't always go by reviews because someone who's just glad to be rid of the responsibilty of the sick animal they found will call the worst rescue "wonderful", if the casualty is taken off their hands and they are never contacted again.
Then there are nutters and trolls who leave bad reviews to even the best rescues, because they lack a sense of control in their lives and get pleasure from exerting it and hurting those who they know won't retaliate.)
3. Look at their wishlist.
Every genuine rescue is always desperate for consumable supplies - gloves, pads, food, etc. and will have a longish hedgehog-appropriate wishlist.
Scammers often give themselves away by asking for money - donations or vouchers - rather than supplies, or just household items for themselves.
ALWAYS be suspicious of a rescue without a wishlist.
4. Admissions posting.
Beware of any 'rescue' who has no new admission posting for weeks or months, or just posts random hedgehog photos, or who never seems to provide patient updates, just retweets.
5. Appropriate accomodation.
Be suspicious if you never see the rescue's hedgehog accomodation or treating areas, etc. Not only will these provide an insight into their level of hygiene (which must be a priority in any healthcare setting), scammers and bad rescues tend not to have this level of commitment.
Good luck!
I hope you don't need to use a rescue, but it'll all go a lot smoother if you have their details to hand now, before the emergency arises.

[avocetsue @avocet555]

@pricklelodge Thanks so much for making time and space to help Freddie better, we hope to have him home before too long.

[avocetsue @avocet555]

@graham_jaggard Met you a few days ago at Radipole and discussed the issues you are raising - agree with you totally. We are now considering cancelling our RSPB membership after over 30 years.

[Graham Jaggard @graham_jaggard]

I have e-mailed the attached to the CEO of the RSPB following the downgrading of both Radipole and Lodmoor RSPB sites. Please read and retweet if you agree.

[avocetsue @avocet555]

@markccphoto Have you any suggestions for a lens cap for the Sony 300mm f 2.8 apart from the cover supplied by Sony?

[avocetsue @avocet555]

@philcheeseman4 Was this an early visit?

[Hedgehog Cabin @HedgehogCabin]

@claudiamclean22 @itvmeridian @pricklelodge Never mind, here it is:
https://t.co/rnGxNNm95m

[avocetsue @avocet555]

@HedgehogCabin @pricklelodge Throughly deserved for your time, patience and unwavering dedication.

[avocetsue @avocet555]

@pricklelodge A big thank you to Jo & Terry of Prickle Lodge for taking the time to care for Pickle .Looking forward to his speedy recovery and return home.
Sue & Ray

[avocetsue @avocet555]

@HedgehogCabin No sign of our two residents yet, but we had a visit from

an unknown hedgehog last night coming to the food.

[avocetsue @avocet555]

@graham_jaggard Are you able to say where you photographed the Dipper recently, or is it on private land? Thank you

[Hedgehog Cabin @HedgehogCabin]

Sander @buitengebieden please delete this.
This poor creature is a wild nocturnal animal (ALL hedgehogs are wild) being forced to perform during the day, with no cover. She is terrified, and is running for her life, desperately trying to find cover.
Encouring this kind of exploitation of hedgehogs propagates the unspeakable cruel breeding industry of these wild animals, kept prisoner all their short miserable lives as pets.
Please, no more hedgehog clips. Let's put an end to this insidious abuse of these gentle creatures.