The hedgehogs are back

Regular readers will know of Wansteadium’s affection for hedgehogs. Last summer we compiled a survey of readers’ sightings, ending up with two apparent clusters: one around Colvin Road on the Nightingale Estate and one around the George Green.

The first sighting of the year is reported by Frances Anderson who says her son and his friend saw a hedgehog on Wanstead Flats near the area opposite St Gabriel’s church.

We hope, though, that this is just the beginning. Keep your ears open for that distinctive snuffling sound in the late evening, and please do file a report. You can use this form.

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Hedgehog update: Good news, bad news

Wansteadium’s hedgehog hunt is now into its third week, and we have built up several sightings around Wanstead.

 

• Spotted in Wanstead Park Avenue, Aldersbrook, Wansteadium reader Nick says: “Further proof as if it were needed that Aldersbrook is the Galapagos Islands of East London.”

Untitled from Tiggy Winkle on Vimeo.

• Deep e-mails from his house on The Green to say : “There is a hedgehog – I call him Harry – who comes to my garden every evening at around 10.30pm. The first time we met I was doing my Bob Marley impressions (badly) and the little dude came and scared the life out of me….  Do you intend to microchip them?”

• Sadly, though, Shiobhain tweeted us to say: “Found the hedgehog I saw last week dead outside this morning 🙁  It looked OK to me, so not sure what happened. I saw two foxes around it last week so maybe they were playing with it.”

• The updated map of sightings is below. The Wanstead Hedgehog Hunt goes on, though: please report any sightings, dead or alive, to hedgehogs@wansteadium.com


View Hedgehogs in Wanstead in a larger map

Hedgehog update

Wansteadium reader Nick reports that he had a hedgehog in his garden near Nightingale Primary School early last summer but that it has not been seen since. This is the most recent sighting we are aware of, but is consistent with the 2008 sighting in Woodbury Close we reported last week.

So there are still no reported sightings of hedgehogs in Wanstead, Snaresbrook or Aldersbrook in 2011. It seems remarkably sad, if true, that there are none left. You can help spread the word about the Wanstead Hedgehog Hunt by printing and displaying this poster. Thanks for your help.

Report any sightings of hedgehogs, dead or alive, to hedgehogs@wansteadium.com

View Hedgehogs in Wanstead in a larger map

Announcing the Wanstead hedgehog hunt

Some wildlife there is no shortage of, especially in Wanstead. As this tweet has it:

[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/lucretiaborgia1/statuses/81437041493151744″]

But what, Wansteadium asks, about the humble hedgehog? Wanstead is full of gardens, with plenty of room to roam, and lots of countryside within easy reach even of short legs. The Wanstead Wildlife website reported that the prickly mammals were “very rarely seen” as far back as 2006, though did hear of a couple of sightings in 2009 – one in garden near Manor Park Cemetery, and one in Wanstead Park.

So a challenge for Wansteadium readers is to report any sightings – dead or alive – of hedgehogs. It surely can’t be that there are none living here?  Please put the message around with your neighbours, encourage schoolchildren to take an interest, and let’s find some evidence that there are still the snuffling beasties living here.

We have set a up a Google map to record and share any sightings – either plot it on the map directly or e-mail us with details – hedgehogs@wansteadium.com


View Hedgehogs in Wanstead in a larger map