…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… […]
…marks along the length of it or even collections of cones that have been nibbled at. Cones make up an important bulk of the red squirrel diet so where there are squirrels there is cone debris. Squirrels, like many animals, are left or right handed, and if you have a real eye for detail, you might even be able to… […]
…to follow, step by step guide: DOWNLOAD Build a window wildlife hide For those times when you can’t get outside, why not take up a spot of window wildlife watching? You might be surprised by what garden visitors appear! To get started, all you need is an old cardboard box (medium to large sized), some scissors, a pencil and masking… […]
…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… […]
…squirrelpox, it is necessary to use targeted and co-ordinated grey squirrel control in carefully chosen areas. Keeping grey squirrel densities very low prevents them from moving into habitat made available when red squirrels suffer a disease-related decline. Furthermore grey squirrel populations at low densities cannot sustain circulating SQPV through the reduced rate of transfer of the virus. Both mathematical modelling… […]
…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… […]
