Hedgehog under Fallen Leaves

Hedgehogs build their winter nests from dead leaves, packed in layers under a hedge, a brush pile or a heap of logs. A good nest keeps out rain and holds a steady temperature through months of hibernation. That's why wildlife groups ask gardeners to leave a corner of fall leaves unraked. This one is peering out from a drift of orange and yellow leaves near the shore of a lake. It makes a hedgehog jigsaw puzzle where the spines and the leaves are almost the same brown.