Out Late

Hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus. Introduced in 1870, possibly to control slugs and snails, which were also introduced. Large

I was watching this morning's heavy fog lifting from the field where the cattle are when I saw this hedgehog caught out in the open. It was hurrying to its day shelter among my big bushes. It came within 60 cms of me before it stopped on the other side of the fringe of grass along the fenceline and sniffed. Then it quickly backed off and disappeared among the clumps of grass. It was still several metres away when I took this shot. When it was close I could see only the top of its back.

The cloud cover was raised high enough for the mountains to be exposed for the first time in what seems like weeks. They looked dark and sombre. There was no sign of the moon.