The Secret Lives of Hedgehogs

Although we may be limited to the odd pigeon or garden bird where we live, the one thing I do remember from years and years ago is rescuing a hedgehog or two that had either been injured or had just gotten a bit lost. Now, however we don't see them, really at all- but like most animals, I suppose it's a case of if there's no food and no appropriate habitat, they'll move on! One thing I was surprised to find out, is that they can't actually drink milk because it gives them diarrhea! Our spiny friends live a pretty amazing life, they're quite sociable and live in packs called an "array", unfortunately many people want to keep hedgehogs as pets, so much so the authorities have got involved - they're now banned in New York, Arizona, California and Hawaii because their governments classify them as wild animals, so for obvious reasons, they can't be kept domestically. Most Hedgehogs also disappear for Winter, making them only one of three species in the UK that hibernate. Luckily, they're pretty much immune to snake venom so they can also stay safe. Whatever happens to our hedgehogs, here in the UK and the US, one thing's for sure is that one legacy they have left, is that the sea urchin was named after them!
Hedgehogs live a surprising life in the US. Because of this craze in the US, with keeping Hedgehogs as pets, there is such a thing as the Hedgehog Olympic Games (it is true, I promise!!) featuring some pretty crazy events like sprints and hurdles in Illinois in the US. You'll be pleased to hear however it's not happening now as many organisations got involved and rightly deemed it unfair on the hedgehogs!!

#BigBlueLive

The ADORABLE Sea Otter

Monterey Bay, California. Quite literally one of the greatest places on Earth. Some of the world's most amazing marine life are arriving or have already taken up residence in the 21 mile wide bay. Brought to you by Matt Baker, Liz Bonnin and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, the show is packed with incredible sights from the majestic Humpback Whale to the incredibly cute Sea Otter. The spectacle is quite literally AMAZING. Matt Baker takes the short trip to meet the relaxed sea otters, lolling back on the water - quite literally living the Californian life. Of course there's some ideal conservation opportunities that come with the abundance of wildlife - Matt and the team spoke with the people who are doing their best to allow the wildlife to thrive. Even something as simple as removing sea urchins which eat kelp to help the sea otter. Kelp is actually one of the sea otters favourite food, so something so simple makes so much difference! 

And of course Big Blue UK has been airing all week showcasing  the incredible wildlife Britain has to offer, from killer whales to dolphins and puffins - although somewhat a little worrying how close whales are to our shores! 

Yesterday Big Blue UK met some of the puffins off the coast of Scotland - I won't even start talking about Puffins, I'll be hear until Christmas! (If you do want to hear more, then check out my previous post, FULL of puffins!) But they did look at how they breed, what I didn't realise was how sociable they are and how unthreatened they felt when he was separated from his young (only temporarily though!) 

I think now, it's safe to say Monterey Bay has been added to my bucket list of places to go!

Big Blue Live airs from California 8pm tonight BBC1 

Why has the UK had such hot weather this July?

June saw the weather across the UK as decidedly mixed with some good weather, but interspersed with this, we saw many spells of wet and windy weather. This was due to the jet stream being across the Atlantic, slightly further south than what is normal for this time of year. 

A major change took place just after the start of July as the jet stream took a dramatic shift northwards. This meant that the newly placed jet stream deflected the bad weather towards Ireland and Scandinavia. Then high pressure was dominant across the UK, in meteorological terms this is known as a blocked pattern. At this time of year, high pressure generally signals good weather and this coupled with the strength of sun can bring very high temperatures 

One thing unusual for the UK is that most of the UK has benefited from this good weather, and these high temperatures haven't been confined to one area. Also we have had very few thunderstorms in the last few weeks. Most people think that these always accompany the hot weather, in this case it is because the hot weather isn't from France or Spain. 

However this hot weather isn't good for everyone, the Met Office and Public Health England have been collaborating to provide advice through the Heat Health Watch. 

Compared to last year, this hot weather is in complete contrast when we experienced a succession of weather systems that we got from the Atlantic. There was no recorded change to the position of the jet stream it was a constant feature throughout the summer of 2012.