Hedgehog

A birthday visit to the Swedish island of Ven (lying in the Øresund between Helsingor on the Danish side and Landskrone on the Swedish side) was a very pleasant day out. The day began with a 90-minute boat ride from Copenhagen at 9am which allowed 5 hours on the island before the return. A very unspoilt island with traditional farming and rolling countryside, it lends itself to walking or cycling. We opted for the former and enjoyed a visit to the museum of Tyco Brahe, the famous 16th century astronomer who was based on the island. Although an undoubted genius in terms of designing astronomical measuring instruments, he will have to be marked down for rejecting Copernicus's theory that the earth revolved around the sun - schoolboy error. Apparently, having just turned 20 years old in 1566, Brahe is said to have lost the bridge of his nose in a duel with a fellow Danish nobleman after a few drinks (makes the odd fight on the streets of provincial British towns after a few lagers on a Saturday night seem a bit tame!) and spent the rest of his life with various false noses made out of copper, silver and gold... the original nose-job.. After the museum we returned to the pier via a circuitous route along the coastal path. Good numbers of butterflies were around with Peacock, Painted Lady, Large White, Small Tortoiseshell and Small Copper all being seen. Also good numbers of Silver Y moths. As has been experienced over most of western Europe, there were signs of an invasion of ladybirds, in particular the 7-spot variety. We saw huge numbers on the Danish north coast last week with thousands present (including many dead on the coastal path) but there were more moderate numbers on Ven. The highlight, though, was this young hedgehog that we found along a narrow path. It was trying to make its way west into a large garden but was thwarted by a concrete wall. Eventually, with a bit of assistance, it made it into a nice shady bed of nettles and scuttled away. This animal had a high "cute factor" as Libby would say...

Photo: young hedgehog on Ven