…in fences for hedgehogs, creating log piles for insects and providing a vital source of food for the local birds. Creating a wildlife-friendly garden comes with the reward of experiencing closer encounters with some of the creatures that share our living space with us. If you’re lucky enough to have red squirrels visit your garden then you’ll know that their… […]
…red squirrels) spend most of their time high up in the trees, squirrels love to run along fallen trees and large branches because from this slightly elevated position they can search more easily for food on the ground while keeping an eye out for predators in the sky. A fallen tree that is used often by squirrels may have scratch… […]
…what you find! Click the link below for the scavenger hunt checklist: DOWNLOAD Try our word search We’ve hidden away 10 squirrel related words, can you find them? Click the links below for the word search puzzle: DOWNLOAD ANSWERS Fill in the blanks Can you help us tell the story of Scotland’s red squirrel by filling in the blanks? Click… […]
…efforts to remove the threat. It has been observed throughout the UK that when grey squirrels move into an area, the local red squirrel population is gradually replaced due to competition for resources such as food and living space. Although grey squirrels occur in Dunkeld, this is generally the northern limit of their range in Perthshire. Sightings of greys… […]
…because they thrive in the new environment into which they’ve been introduced and, in doing so, impact on and disrupt the delicate balance of that natural ecosystem. Their impacts can be large and obvious, like the presence of a stand of Japanese knotweed, or subtle like the reduction in invertebrate biodiversity in a river when the banks are dominated by… […]
…and the project’s earlier work have shown that keeping grey squirrel densities very low can help red squirrels not just to survive but to thrive, even returning to some areas from which they had been absent for many years. You can help prevent the spread of squirrelpox and other infections by ensuring wildlife feeding equipment is regularly disinfected, and by… […]
…Red Squirrels online Community Hub. Made possible thanks to National Lottery Players, the Community Hub is an online space where registered users can connect with both the project and other local squirrel enthusiasts. It’s also a tool to help people get more involved in red squirrel volunteering. Anyone can sign up and make an account, and there are different uses… […]
Ground-breaking research which aims to better understand how grey squirrels use the urban environment will take place in Aberdeen this year. The study is led by Dr Louise de Raad, Research Fellow at Inverness College UHI, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands, in collaboration with the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project. Little… […]
…even more rapid and devastating. Grey squirrels have completely replaced red squirrels in most of England and Wales, and parts of Scotland too. Grey squirrel © Bob Coyle However, in the eight years that the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project has been active, we’ve been able to show that with sustained and targeted grey squirrel control it is possible to… […]
…dreys. Unlike summer dreys, which are open platforms, similar in design to birds’ nests, winter dreys are broadly spherical and enclosed, but for a small entrance hole. They are constructed of interwoven twigs on the outside with softer furnishings of moss and dried leaves to give some home comforts on the inside. New dreys are usually built, and existing ones… […]
