News and Blogs

  Regular readers of our blog will remember that last July we raised concerns about the security of Highland Perthshire’s native red squirrels following sightings reports from Pitlochry and Aberfeldy of their non-native cousin, the grey squirrel.  Local people heard our appeals for help and we can now report on progress to date, including our first tangible success in our 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 reported by the public in both Pitlochry and Aberfeldy between July and September 2020 marked a worrying potential northward spread that could have serious consequences for Scotland’s core red squirrel populations if allowed to become established in these areas.   Pitlochry grey squirrel © J Jenner   Our awareness raising campaign calling on the public to report any grey squirrel sightings while out walking locally brought in further reports, and we were able to target close monitoring to a few specific sites. In February, we were able to confirm grey squirrel presence in Pitlochry and initiate grey squirrel control measures in early spring. Finally, we can report success in removing the first grey squirrel f ...

  Squirrelpox has posed a threat to native red squirrels in southern Scotland since the mid 2000s, and whilst targeted grey squirrel control efforts have been proven to slow the spread of the virus, they cannot prevent its spread - it is therefore important to be vigilant, informed and well prepared. Today we’re taking a look at how monitoring efforts in the Central Lowlands can help to detect the early presence of squirrelpox, and how you can be proactive in reducing its impact.   Squirrelpox was first confirmed in Scotland in 2005, having spread from northern England through non-native grey squirrels that are able to carry the virus unaffected. When spread to red squirrels however, the disease is deadly and is invariably fatal within two weeks. Just two years after the earliest evidence of the arrival of squirrelpox virus among the grey squirrel population of southern Scotland near Canonbie, red squirrels near Lockerbie succumbed to the first of several documented outbreaks of squirrelpox disease in the region’s red squirrels, ranging from Gatehouse-of-Fleet to Sanquhar, Moffat, Langholm, the Rule Valley near Hawick and the Tweed Valley near Peebles. Thanks to a protection network of dedicated staff, landowners, local groups and volunteers, red squirrels are not only still found in these areas, but are thriving in most of them. Fortunately, an outbreak has yet to be recorded in red squirrels in the Central Lowlands. If squirrelpox were to take hold ...

  Red squirrels have come on leaps and bounds on the Argaty Estate near Doune in Stirling. In today’s guest blog, Tom Bowser of Argaty Red Kites reflects on a journey of red squirrel recovery and some unforgettable milestone moments.   I can still remember my first childhood sighting of a red squirrel on Argaty. It was a summer’s day in the early 1990s, and I was riding my bike along the rutted, potholed track that serves as the main road through our family farm. Stopping for a drink of water I looked across the adjacent field when an unexpected movement caught my eye. Standing atop a nearby gatepost was a red squirrel. Tail twitching, eyes unblinking it stared at me and I stared back. We held each other’s gaze for several seconds before the tiny creature turned tail and fled, springing through the grass and disappearing into the woods beyond. I turned too and sped home to tell my parents what I’d just seen. I still treasure that memory. It was one of only two red squirrel sightings I had in eighteen years growing up on our Stirlingshire farm. By the time I left for university grey squirrels had all but taken over the woods in this part of Scotland. Those two reds, glimpsed fleetingly in those far-off days, may have been two of the last survivors in these parts. How different our world is now. Reds are back in force on Argaty. Today we run two squirrel photography hides and are in the process of building a third. I seldom go twenty-four hours with ...

  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 is currently known about how grey squirrels live and move in a built-up space and this study is the first of its kind. It aims to highlight the habitat preferences, movement corridors and home range size of grey squirrels in Aberdeen. Researchers will monitor the movements of 10 grey squirrels between late March and July using VHF (Very High Frequency) radio and GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking. The results will support ongoing red squirrel conservation in the local area. The research is funded by Forestry & Land Scotland and will be carried out under a special licence from NatureScot. Grey squirrels were first introduced to Aberdeen in the 1970s. They soon replaced native red squirrels across the city and in the wider Aberdeenshire countryside, further threatening important red squirrel populations in Grampian and the Highlands.   Grey Squirrel © Nicola Nuttall   Larger and more productive than their red counterparts, grey squirrels can rapidly out-compete red squirrels for food and living space, making it difficult for the native specie ...

  2020 was a year of change for many, and for Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, we were fortunate enough to welcome in new members of the team while overcoming the challenges of covid-19. Having worked from home since starting their roles, we wanted to take the opportunity to bring forward the newest faces of SSRS from behind their computer screens and give them a proper introduction.   Dr Lucy Lush: Assistant Project Manager Lucy is the latest addition to the SSRS team and is working closely alongside our Programme Manager, Dr Mel Tonkin, to oversee our project operations across Scotland. Lucy joins the team with a varied background as a wildlife biologist carrying out research in mammal ecology and behaviour both in Australia and the UK, as well as, working as project manager on various conservation projects within the environmental sector. Once re-opened, Lucy will be based out of our headquarters in Leith. Contact: llush@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk   Victoria Chanin: Assistant Conservation Officer for South West Scotland Victoria may be a familiar face having previously joined the team in 2019 as an Administrative Assistant, and from June started her new role as Assistant Conservation Officer. When she is not busy saving red squirrels, Victoria works as a Freelance Ecologist, undertaking bat surveys, badger, amphibian, butterfly and botanical surveys. Victoria will be joining the South West team from Dalbeattie in Dumfries and Galloway once ...

  Today marks Red Squirrel Appreciation Day, a time to celebrate one of our most treasured native species and those that have been working selflessly to protect them. Our conservation efforts would not be possible without the tremendous help of our enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers, and today our gratitude is echoed in an open letter from HRH The Prince of Wales to all volunteers fighting for the survival of the red squirrel.   HRH The Prince of Wales is Patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, one of our project partners, who are working closely with volunteers and members of regional and local red squirrel groups across the UK. Today the Red Squirrel Survival Trust shared the kind words received from His Royal Highness.   HRH The Prince of Wales wrote: “21st January 2021 is Red Squirrel Awareness Day and, as Patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, my thoughts turn naturally to all those throughout the United Kingdom who volunteer their skills and their time to fight for the survival of the red squirrel, and for native British trees, the natural woodland habitat in which it evolved. Without your efforts, we simply could not hope to succeed in the task we have set ourselves. Generations to come would be denied the pleasure we take for granted in the healthy woods that are now threatened as never before, and of which the red squirrel is both the symbol and, by its presence, the benchmark. As you will all know so well, these charming and ...

  Following the latest government guidelines, it has been agreed between Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels and the Scottish Wildlife Trust that all volunteer work, with the exception of essential grey squirrel control volunteers, will be temporarily suspended with immediate effect.   As we prepare for mainland Scotland to transition into Tier 4 restrictions from Saturday 26 December onwards, we are issuing new guidance with immediate effect.   Grey squirrel control volunteers (including both trap-hosts and dispatchers) Registered Scottish Wildlife Trust volunteers undertaking grey squirrel control are able to continue with this essential work, provided that existing guidance (issued on 11/06/2020) is adhered to and a Covid-19 Risk Assessment has been completed and reviewed. The Covid-19 Risk Assessment can be accessed through the Community Hub Grey Squirrel Control Group documents, or by contacting your local Community Engagement Officer or Conservation Officer. We ask those continuing with voluntary control work to keep abreast of any further changes in the Scottish Government’s coronavirus advice and please ensure compliance with coronavirus restrictions in your local authority area by visiting https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/.   Survey volunteers All other volunteer work, including those participating in operational surveys, will be suspended until further notice.   The Trust will review these temporar ...

  A record number of squirrel sightings were reported by the public during September’s Great Scottish Squirrel Survey. 2,100 people - three times the number who took part in the first national survey in 2019 - logged over 3,000 sightings of red and grey squirrels, creating a Scotland-wide snapshot and providing valuable data for conservationists.   The Great Scottish Squirrel Survey returned for its second year this autumn, running from 21 – 27 September. The mass citizen science event run by Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, called on the Scottish public to report sightings of both red and grey squirrels seen in back gardens across the country and while exploring the great outdoors. Both species seen throughout the week were reported to scottishsquirrels.org.uk for inclusion in a national database that directly influences conservation action. A total of 548 grey squirrel and 2612 red squirrel sightings were reported to the project during the survey, almost eight times as many sightings as would be reported in a typical week and almost four times the number of sightings received in the 2019 campaign. The survey also witnessed a threefold increase in the number of people who recorded squirrels compared to 2019. This fantastic response from the public is especially welcome this year, when, for a few crucial months, lockdown interrupted all of Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels’ work to prevent ...

  We want to thank all of our SSRS Spring Survey volunteers who participated in the 2020 Survey. It was very disappointing that we were unable to complete the survey this year due to the restrictions imposed by Covid-19 and we appreciate your patience as we have adjusted to a new means of working.   As we continue to face the challenges of the pandemic, it has been decided that the Spring Survey will not be returning in 2021 due to the uncertainty of ongoing restrictions. With an incomplete dataset from this year’s survey, an annual Spring Survey Report for 2020 will not be produced, however we will aim to make use of returned samples where possible. Please see the regional guidance listed below for advice on remaining survey equipment. We are incredibly grateful for the hard work and dedication that went into this year’s Spring Survey, and we hope that we can offer more opportunities in the future that you will find equally rewarding. There are all sorts of other ways you can get involved in the project, and specific volunteer openings can be found on the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Volunteering Opportunities page. Do keep in touch with your local Conservation Officer or Community Engagement Officer if you have any questions or concerns.   What should I do with my 2020 Spring Survey kit? Please read over the guidance and instructions below for your survey area: North East If you participate in our Autumn Operational Survey, pl ...

  Dr Peter Garson, Chair of the Gatehouse Squirrel Group, has been recognised as this year’s Species Champion in the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Trustees’ Awards for Volunteering. Giuliana Sinclair, Community Engagement Officer for South West Scotland discusses how this award not only celebrates Peter’s immense dedication and drive but also stands as an inspiration to volunteers and communities across Scotland uniting to play their crucial role in conserving local red squirrels.   We couldn’t save Scotland’s red squirrels without the generosity and determination of our volunteers and we continue to be inspired every day by the work that local red squirrel groups undertake on the ground. Peter Garson became involved with SSRS in 2015 when he founded the Gatehouse Squirrel Group. In his role as Chair, Peter is responsible for coordinating all volunteer efforts undertaken by the group, from surveys to targeted grey squirrel control. These efforts have been fundamental to the protection of local red squirrels from continuous incursions by the non-native grey squirrel and the effect of squirrelpox, the lethal virus that greys carry. The group is working to raise awareness of the plight of the red squirrel and inspire others to take action in and around Gatehouse through social media and public engagement. Over 20 households undertake monthly garden counts, which encourage people to take a close look and enjoy their visitors on a daily basis. This is ...