Update ..

Yesterday I removed 45 more ticks from the hedgehog - and there were still plenty of little ones left on him which I would have dealt with today. But I wasn't hopeful - he was weak and malnourished - his underside was wet and very smelly and I was intending taking him to the hedgehog hospital today.

But he was dead when I went into him this morning. Even on his poor little dead body, the ticks continued to feed - and there were another dozen which had grown huge on his blood overnight.

They had literally sucked the life out of him. Perhaps I should have taken him to the hospital sooner - but a little 270 gram body with 60+ ticks feeding on it had a hard battle to fight .. and sadly he lost the fight.

Bird class this morning - off to Flamborough and lots of puffins.