Hedgehogs - Son of Hedgie

I mentioned last month that I had been hoping that Hedgie, the hedgehog frequently seen in our garden last year, had survived the winter.  Then on 6th June I thought I had picked up signs of "hedgehog life" in the garden although not actually seen one.  Well, yesterday evening, just as it was starting to get dark, we had a little visitor in the garden.  But it wasn't Hedgie because it looked quite young (that is, small).  However, it looked strong and healthy and was very lively.  It seemed to be quite confident in our presence - was it because it was already familiar with our voices, I wonder?

He spent quite a while exploring the area outside the workshop at the bottom of the garden

In this photo, his head is just a blur as he spins around to change direction - but take a look at those cute little paws!

Finally, he headed off towards the hedge (they're not called hedgehogs for nothing!) with a curious Sweet Pea in hot pursuit.

Unlike some parts of the country, we've not had any rain here for days and days and so the garden is very dry.  In weather like this, all wildlife needs water to survive and so leaving out a shallow dish of water (like the ones placed under plant pots) and remembering to top it up could perhaps help save the lives of some insects, birds and larger animals such as hedgehogs.