I want some summer ... not sure how the rest of you are feeling about this long run of rather murky and sorry excuse for a season - but just a little more warmth, sunshine - please! Especially as I am heading off with my tent on Wednesday!

But then, I look elsewhere and count my lucky starts that we don't have quite that sort of summer!

Whatever the weather, however, the work has to continue! And here is some news - some progress.

On Friday I was invited to visit a development in Suffolk being constructed by Linden Homes. They are one of the developers who have committed to putting hedgehog highways in place - without the change in planning law this petition is calling for. 

This site was just outside Stowmarket - and my day was spent talking to Linden staff, early residents to the estate, local conservationists and anyone who would listen, about hedgehogs! I did a lot of talking!

But my main motivation for being there was to get a tour of the development - to see what work they were doing to help hedgehogs. 

I came away with mixed feelings. It was great to see the outward facing brick walls being porous for hedgehogs - they could definitely get into the gardens of the houses on the perimeter of each block. As you can see in the photo.

But my guide - one of the senior folk there - was unable to find me any holes that linked the gardens inside the blocks. All the fences I saw were hole-less. 

I was assured that this was going to be sorted - but I don't have the resources to drive all the way back to Suffolk to check. I will have to rely on people close by to just see whether promises are being met.

So - the 'ask' from this update - PLEASE - if you see new developments springing up near you - could you ask at the show home or main sales point whether they are including hedgehog highways - and then, ask whether you can see any. It would be a great help to know which developers are delivering! And rather than report just on here, if you use Facebook, please consider signing up to the Hedgehog Highways group on there that I set up - and share what you have discovered. 

While I was in Suffolk I took the opportunity to stay the night with an old friend and then head over to Orford Ness - an eerie shingle spit that is home to amazing bird life, and was home to the development of bombs, conventional and nuclear, for much of the last century. I have been putting a few photos from that trip on Instagram.

Other output from me can be found on Twitter. Not all hedgehog related! 

Hope you all manage to find just the right amount of sunshine over the next few weeks ... I might be less prolific with the updates as there are festivals to go to (Green Gathering and, Into the Wild) - two books to write (eeeeek!) and one book that is due back from the editors this week ... But - I do love being able to share my hedgehog thoughts with you all! 

Thank you for your support - both moral - in the comments - and from those who are able to spare a few coins.