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Conference govt02::basingstoke

Title: * BASINGSTOKE - Gateway to Wessex *
Notice:BASINGSTOKE - John Arlott lived here - then left, I wonder why
Moderator:COMICS::CORNEJ
Created:Wed Jul 27 1988
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:925
Total number of notes:5875

310.0. "Basingstoke Wildlife in the garden" by DRILL::dougie ( Go with Throttle Up) Mon Jun 11 1990 15:16

I've hung a bird feeder in the garden. But there seems to be a distinct lack of finches 
and tits. Don't they hang about Basingstoke?

I was a bit reticent about feeding birds in the summer; however I've been reading that birds
will always go for wild food in preference to food put out by humans. So I'm not too
worried about this.

And I've got a hedgehog. It turns up occasionally and snuffles around the garden. Where does
it live? Is it wild? What should I leave out for it?

Housemartins: They fly around a hundred feet up like overexcited Bros fans. Do they eat/gather
food from the air?

Konfused of Kempshott

Dougie
    
    

T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
310.1success storyXNOGOV::KARENwhen you wish upon a star...Tue Jun 12 1990 10:409
    We get lots of birds in our garden in Bramley, and it's a full time job 
    keeping up with the bird nuts and bread.  But, we've been justly
    rewarded.  A couple of blue tits recently set up home in one of the
    nesting boxes we have on the side of the garage and produced quite a
    little family.  
    
    Ah...
    
    Karen  
310.2OVAL::KERRELLDsponplatter lagerTue Jun 12 1990 10:577
re.0:

The Hedgehog is a real bonus for the garden, you should encourage it to 
stay by feeding it fillet steak. Your reward will be in the autumn when you 
can tie it to a stick and use it to pick up leaves.

Dave.
310.3Where was _your_ smiley?SHAPES::STREETRI came, I saw, I wentTue Jun 12 1990 11:274
    Have you been watching "Not the Nine O'Clock News" again Dave?
    
    ;-)
    Ray.
310.4LARVAE::ASHFIELD_SUmm Philidelphia.....!!Tue Jun 12 1990 17:564
    The best thing to feed the hedgehog is actually Cat food this is not a
    joke, don't what ever you do feed it bread and milk.
    
    Sarah
310.5OVAL::ALFORDJIce a specialityTue Jun 12 1990 18:126
    
    bread and milk won't kill them, it's just not particularly good for
    their digestion.
    
    it is useful for initially tempting them to visit because they do adore
    milk !  just not as a staple diet...
310.6HAMPS::THAYER_SmeowTue Jun 12 1990 19:054
    What should I feed the flat hedgehog that lives on the road outside
    my house?
    
    Richard Attenborough
310.7Hedgehogs != DEC managersTASTY::NISBETGo with Throttle UpWed Jun 13 1990 10:5310
    < .4
    The best thing to feed the hedgehog is actually Cat food this is not a
    joke, don't what ever you do feed it bread and milk.
    
    Sarah

I have heard this. What about dog food? The problem with cat food is that,
well, all the cats around would scoff it.

Dougie
310.9Hedgehog alert!VANISH::BARRONSnoopy Vs Red_BarronWed Jun 13 1990 11:499
>    What should I feed the flat hedgehog that lives on the road outside
>    my house?
>    
>    Richard Attenborough

	I'd guess a bicycle pump might be a good idea.

	Dave :~)

310.10Vegetarian.SHAPES::STREETRI came, I saw, I wentWed Jun 13 1990 12:538
>    What should I feed the flat hedgehog that lives on the road outside
>    my house?
>    
>    Richard Attenborough
    
    Tagliatelle?
    
    Ray.
310.11LARVAE::ASHFIELD_SUmmmm Philidelphia....Wed Jun 13 1990 15:024
    Dog or Cat food either will do, milk will give the hedgehog extremely
    bad guts ache.  This time of year it should be okay though, but not in
    the autumn or winter when they go into hibernation as the milk and
    bread rots in the stomach and they end up dying.
310.12Hedgehog FoodTASTY::NISBETGo with Throttle UpThu Jun 14 1990 11:0510
WHat else can I use to tempt the hedgehogs?

Two turned up last night. Scoffed the milk I left, but didn't touch the 
dog food. I heard some cats fighting over it in the middle of the night.

Are these wild hedgehogs? Where do they go during the day? Where do they sleep?

Enquiring minds want to know.

Dougie
310.13OVAL::ALFORDJIce a specialityThu Jun 14 1990 12:284
    
    Glad to hear my theory about the great hedgehog temptation still works
    
    :-)
310.14OVAL::ALFORDJIce a specialityThu Jun 14 1990 12:295
    
    Hedgehogs are mainly nocturnal, and sleep in dry, leaf lined holes
    during the day.
    
    And yes, they will be wild.
310.15ARRODS::CARTERPyurdedbrilyant!Thu Jun 14 1990 13:248
I was under the impression that cat and dog food are different.  Cat food
contains a lot more nutrients, and is fit for human consumption, whereas dog
food isn't.

Maybe hedgehogs're clever enough only to eat cat food?


Xtine
310.16Fatten 'em up than bake 'em.HAMPS::PATTISON_M_mm_/���\_mm_, wot, no pussies ?Thu Jun 14 1990 14:046
    Yes cat and dog food are different, as they are mixed to provide
    a complete balanced diet for the cat/dog and their requirements
    differ, this wont make much difference to master hedgepig as he
    will be still eating his usual menu of beetles and slugs.
    
    
310.17COMICS::FISCHERI&#039;ve got a match...Tue Jun 19 1990 13:427
>    Yes cat and dog food are different,

Yes, cat food contains BSE. 

:-)

Ian
310.18Private and ConfidentialTASTY::NISBETBut soft, what light from yonder airlock breaks?Tue Jun 19 1990 16:3012
Many thanks to the person who sent me the hedgehog RSPCA booklet. I've read it from 
through.

It doesn't actually mention that hedgehogs should not be given milk. It only says that
they may not get a balanced diet if they become reliant on bread and milk and
stuff that humans put out. (Cat food excepted I suspect).

Another surprise is that there tend to be more than one hedgehog. It seems that Henry may
actually be several different hedgehogs, visiting at different times. I mean,
can you tell the difference?

Dougie
310.19Basingstoke Wildlife in the gardenLARVAE::BARKERDo not fold, spindle or mutilateWed Jun 20 1990 16:2717
Re .-1

>Another surprise is that there tend to be more than one hedgehog. It seems that Henry may
>actually be several different hedgehogs, visiting at different times. I mean,
>can you tell the difference?

Only if you are another hedgehog.

There is a small wood adjoining my house.My wife &  I were standing out in the 
garden with my father when we heard loud snuffling and grunting noises from the
woods. This transpired to be a couple of hedgehogs. 
"What are they doing?" said my wife
"Making more hedgehogs" said my father

Nigel 

BTW I have a wren nesting in my goatshed but no hedgehogs
310.20LARVAE::BARKERDo not fold, spindle or mutilateWed Jun 20 1990 16:329
Dougie,

Do you think that you could sort out your U****x system so that you don't
insert spurious control characters into note titles or insert notes with lines 
longer than 80 characters.

Or is this a limitation of Open Systems?

Nigel
310.21Funny control characters nothing to do with U****xTASTY::JEFFERYIs &quot;Bones&quot; the real McCoy ??Thu Jun 21 1990 09:5010
No, it's not his U**********x system, it's DECwindows notes!

The temptation is to press return at the end of the title, and it just assumes
you wanted a two line title.

It also doesn't auto wrap.

As both these problems are fixed in other DECwindows programs, I assume that its up to the DECwindows/Notes devlopers.

Mark.
310.22ChirpLARVAE::NISBET_DBut soft, what light from yonder airlock breaks?Thu Jun 28 1990 15:2415
Only the basenote was entered from an ULTRIX box. I've heard
TASTY runs VMS, but I skip so nimbly between the two I hardly
ever notice.

The bird-feeder has attracted some very hacked-off but determined
sparrows who sort of hover and munch at the same time. They don't
seem to be able to hang on very long, but it produces a high
chortle factor amongst the human audience.

And there is a Mega Big Rock Dove (I've been told). It wanders
around occasionally looking snooty. Where would it have come
from. Apart from the sky, that is.

Dougie

310.23sniffTASTY::NISBETBut soft, what light from yonder airlock breaks?Mon Jul 02 1990 12:337
The Housemartins are leaving home. Big fluffy wobbly cuties they are too.
And I haven't seen Henry Hedgehog for several days now. I put cat food out,
but the cats eat it.

Its all very sad.

Dougie
310.24Ahh ... BostickLARVAE::MOORE_ADont Worry- Its only 1&#039;s and 0&#039;sWed Jul 04 1990 14:3710
    Have you thought that making your garden a haven for the local moggies
    could be the reason for the suspicious lack of birds?
    
    We have a bird table all ready to sustain 1/2 a million birds and our
    cat keeps pleading with me to put it in the garden. Doesn't fool me
    though! After a couple of blue-tits met their maker somewhat
    prematurely last year, I feel it my duty to scare the little b****ers
    off for their own good.