News and Blogs

  Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has published the results of this year’s Great Scottish Squirrel Survey, when over 600 people reported 828 sightings in just one week. The results will enhance conservationists’ understanding of squirrel populations across Scotland. The campaign, which ran from 23 – 29 September, encouraged the Scottish public to spend some time exploring the outdoors while keeping a lookout for both red and grey squirrels. Sightings were reported on the project website. Dr Mel Tonkin, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels Project Manager said: “Sightings records give us a good indication of how red and grey squirrel populations are distributed. Monitoring changes in these populations over time helps us understand the situation and make better conservation decisions. “We’d like to thank everyone who took the time to get outdoors and take part in the survey”   The results map shows that red squirrels are still widespread across the north of the country, with a large number of sightings reported in Scotland’s Central Lowlands to the north of Edinburgh and Glasgow. In the North East, the only grey squirrel sightings were concentrated in Aberdeen. Targeted control work has significantly reduced this population in recent years, and efforts have been rewarded with increasingly frequent red squirrel sightings in city locations such as Duthie Park and Aberdeen University. The majority of grey squirrel sightings during the ...

  Dr Jenny Bryce, Scottish Natural Heritage Wildlife Ecologist, discusses how evidence is shaping conservation strategy; reflecting on invasives insights upon the publication of a paper co-written by Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels’ Dr Mel Tonkin.   In July 2017 Mel Tonkin, SSRS Project Manager, presented a paper at the IUCN Island Invasives conference held in Dundee. This was the third Island Invasives conference and a valuable opportunity to share experiences of invasive species related conservation projects from across the globe. The theme for this conference was ‘scaling up to meet the challenge’; particularly fitting for a landscape-scale project as it progressed from demonstrating effectiveness to sustaining action. Although not set up as a scientific research project, SSRS has always advocated a data-driven approach to evaluating the effectiveness of conservation activity. Following the publication of the paper, we take the opportunity to reflect on what evidence has highlighted to date. A key question has always been, how much grey squirrel control is required in Scotland to protect red squirrels and how can it be delivered? The paper provides a narrative of how the project has sought to co-ordinate red squirrel protection over the project’s lifetime with a focus on evidence gathered. At the outset it is recognised that grey squirrel control has differing goals in various project areas - based on how established grey populations are; ...

The seasons have changed and our walkways are now covered with leaves of orange, yellow, red and brown. Autumn is one of the best times to get playful with tree identification while there is so much to pick up and investigate. What colours and shapes can you see? Are there fruits and nuts on the ground, or still on the tree?   Earlier this year, members of the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels team went on a tree ID training day. Here’s a few tips that they wanted to share along with some useful links to see you on any autumn identification adventures.         The basics Coniferous or deciduous? When submitting a squirrel sighting, we give options to select what type of habitat the squirrel was spotted in. Having a basic knowledge of tree identification comes in helpful here and sharing this allows us to investigate which habitats squirrels appear to be thriving in. Spotting the difference between a coniferous and deciduous tree in autumn is simple. Deciduous trees with broad leaves, change colour and often lose their leaves at this time of year whereas most cone-bearing coniferous trees that have needles, stay green year-round. Some of Scotland’s oldest native trees are coniferous, such as Scots Pine. A fun fact about another native coniferous tree, Juniper, is that it has stems that are fragrant throughout – it isn’t just their distinctive, infamous berries that are aromatic!   Finding clues So what are some of t ...

  The first recorded red squirrel in Plean near Stirling in many years was spotted in the most unlikely of places - a local resident’s living room.   William Higgins was surprised to find the animal frantically scrambling around his home last month. He said: “I was in the kitchen when I thought I heard the post being delivered. When I went to pick up the mail I found the wee rascal running around the living room at a hundred miles an hour, all over the furniture. “I just wanted to let him out without hurting him. He went for the window so I lifted the blinds and opened it. He saw the opening and was off like lightning.” The squirrel left unharmed by the incident, and Mr Higgins reported the sighting to Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, who monitor squirrel populations across Scotland. Mary-Anne Collis, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels Conservation Officer said: “People will be much more used to seeing squirrels in the woods but this sighting is doubly surprising because it’s the first recorded red squirrel in Plean since our project began ten years ago, although we knew they weren’t too far away. “It’s an encouraging sign that the work we’re doing to protect red squirrels in Stirlingshire with support from National Lottery players is having a positive impact. Plean is just the latest example of a town where people are reporting seeing red squirrels return after years of absence, we’ve also had recent sightings in Dunbl ...

  Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has won a Helping It Happen award! It’s not every day you see a red squirrel in the centre of Edinburgh, not least one surrounded by twinkling lights, clinking glasses and the chatter of people in tuxedos and cocktail dresses. It was only a projection, but still the image represented how far Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has come in the past few years. Last week we attended the Helping It Happen Awards, where we were a finalist in the conservation category. Run by project partner Scottish Land & Estates, the awards are intended to highlight how landowners and rural businesses across Scotland play a key role in enabling and supporting success in rural areas. Landowners play a crucial role in red squirrel conservation, whether they are granting permission to carry out surveys or grey squirrel control on their land, or taking part in control work themselves either on a voluntary basis or through the Forestry Grant Scheme. As a project we have always worked closely with landowners in our priority areas, and these relationships have strengthened since support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund has enabled our team to expand and dedicate more effort to ‘developing community action’. We talk a lot about inspiring public support and creating volunteer networks, but landowners are also very much part of the communities we’re aiming to reach. We felt we were a strong contender for the award, but the competition wa ...

  We want to help you get the most out of your Great Scottish Squirrel Survey week and give you the best opportunity possible to see our furry friends out in the wild. Our SSRS Conservation Officers from across the country have come up with a guide of subtle signs, memorable marks and helpful hints to assist you on your adventures over the next few days.     Where & When  You could plan a trip almost anywhere in Scotland, or even just outside your front door. There are a number of well-known squirrel stomping grounds you could visit; however, it is equally important to consider an area that could be an ideal squirrel habitat where few sightings have been recorded before.   Squirrels live in trees, and although dense woodland is a prime habitat they can also be seen in urban areas where pockets of trees can be found – so don’t rule out the possibility of seeing a squirrel if you live near a city.   Our sightings maps are a useful tool in seeing where both reds and greys have been recently spotted across Scotland. We also have a map on our red squirrels information page with some additional information on key red squirrel sighting locations.   You can look for squirrels at any time of the day. Autumn is a fantastic time of year for squirrel spotting as they are often more visible than usual as they busily gather food, preparing themselves for the colder months ahead. We can recommend early m ...

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is calling on people all over Scotland to take part in the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey between 23 – 29 September.   During this week (which coincides with National Red Squirrel Week) the Scottish public will be encouraged to spend some time exploring the outdoors while keeping a lookout for both red and grey squirrels. They can then report where and when they saw them on the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels website, scottishsquirrels.org.uk Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust that is working to protect red squirrels where they are most under threat from the spread of non-native grey squirrels. Squirrel sightings received from members of the public help the project understand how red and grey squirrel populations are changing over time and decide where to focus conservation efforts. Dr Mel Tonkin, SSRS Project Manager said: “We monitor squirrel populations throughout the year, and in 2018 we received an incredible 8,400 squirrel sightings from members of the public. “This year, thanks to support from National Lottery players, we’re trying something a bit different. By going out and looking for squirrels during the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey people can help us create a more detailed snapshot of the current situation on the ground.” Autumn is an ideal time of year for squirrel-watching. With leaves falling they can be easier to spot as they move t ...

  We are delighted to announce that we have been nominated as a finalist for the Scottish Land & Estates 2019 Helping It Happen Awards!   There are passionate and innovative businesses across rural Scotland that are taking new approaches to helping their local communities thrive, whether that’s providing high quality housing or providing employment in remote areas. Helping it Happen not only showcases the fantastic work that is already taking place, but also tells the stories that will inspire others to get involved too.  The red squirrel is one of Scotland’s most loved animals and most of the UK population is found here, despite significant decline in recent decades. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels was established in 2009 to ensure that red squirrels will continue to be a part of Scotland’s special native wildlife.  With special thanks to National Lottery players, we received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant in 2017 to begin a five-year project phase called ‘Developing Community Action’.   Alongside vital conservation work, the project is now focusing on engaging with local communities and individuals, inspiring and supporting them to take action to protect red squirrels where they live. By developing and supporting these community-led groups, we aim to leave a legacy that ensures long-term, sustainable red squirrel conservation in Scotland.  We are proud to have our hard work recognised as a finalist in the con ...

  As the weeks continue, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels have received more sightings of sick red squirrels spreading further inland in Dumfries and Galloway.   A red squirrel has been reported by a member of the public as far as Gatehouse showing classic symptoms of the squirrelpox virus, suggesting that the disease has spread north west of the original outbreak between Palnackie and Carsethorn back in May. Squirrelpox is a fatal disease which red squirrels have no immunity against. The symptoms are very distinctive, with lesions and sores forming around the squirrel’s face preventing them from being able to eat and drink as well as limiting their mobility. Although squirrelpox is commonly spread by grey squirrels that carry the disease unaffected, it is believed that this particular outbreak has taken hold within Dumfries and Galloway’s red squirrel population and continues to spread between reds.   A sick red squirrel spotted west of Gatehouse by Robert Lloyd   What can be done to help?  Wildlife feeders typically encourage squirrels, both red and grey, to come into close contact with each other. In a recent video that was sent to the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project, a sick red can be seen rubbing its face on a feeder; scientists suspect squirrelpox can be spread via saliva, which is why feeders pose a particular risk.  During this time, locals within these areas are urged ...

  Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has received a red squirrel sighting near Duthie Park, one of the closest sightings to Aberdeen city centre in the project’s ten-year history.   The red squirrel was spotted in a garden north of Duthie Park, near the river Dee, an area that has only known grey squirrels for several decades. Grey squirrels were first introduced to Aberdeen in the 1970s, rapidly spreading throughout the city and into surrounding Aberdeenshire. Through competition for food and living space they caused the region’s native red squirrel populations to decline rapidly, completely replacing them across the city. Years of grey squirrel control work carried out by Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has already removed grey squirrels from much of Aberdeenshire. Red squirrels have begun to recolonise many areas, including the outskirts of Aberdeen. The red squirrel was spotted by Gina Ganzenmueller   Dr Gwen Maggs, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels Conservation Officer for North East Scotland said: “The project has been working along the River Dee for ten years, with help from dedicated volunteers participating in our trap-loan scheme. “As a result of this targeted grey squirrel control red squirrels have gradually returned to North Deeside, with populations establishing through Peterculter, Milltimber, Bieldside and Cults. In 2017 red squirrels arrived at Robert Gordon University. With healthy populations already in Hazleh ...