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With the colder weather covering much of Scotland these last couple of weeks, the crisp air, the flurries of snow, and the loss of the autumnal-coloured leaves lets us know that winter is well on its way! And for our red squirrels, somewhat surprisingly, winter isn’t a season to completely rest. Find out more in the last of our 2024 seasonal red squirrel blogs: Preparing for Winter As per our previous blog on red squirrel behaviours in autumn, red squirrels have spent much of the last few months foraging and caching mushrooms, acorns and seeds – creating a stockpile of food to see them through the colder months ahead. Without this key preparation months in advance, squirrels could succumb to the effects of exposure and starvation. Snowy Foraging (c) Steve Gardner Red squirrels will still sometimes be out foraging around the forest floor in winter, retrieving their precious stores and caching whatever foods they can find – so do still keep an eye out! A Cosy Drey Hideaway Red squirrels don't hibernate, but do retreat to their cosy dreys more frequently in the colder weather. These are built high up in the tree canopy and made of twigs, moss, lichen and fur. Their intricate creation means they are incredibly well insulated, allowing red squirrels to rest, and be warm and protected from the freezing temperatures. If you are struggling to spot a red squirrel throughout winter, chances are they are comfy and cosy in their dreys, keeping warm and just sleeping a ...

  Members of the Scottish public have aided critical red squirrel conservation efforts by partaking in the sixth annual Great Scottish Squirrel Survey. In a year of mixed fortunes for red squirrels in Scotland, public squirrel sightings have proved more important than ever for work being undertaken by conservationists across the country. Results from the nationwide survey, which took place between the 30 September and 6 October, show that during the week 1802 people reported over 2500 squirrel sightings, the second highest result to date and a 30% increase from 2023. Public sightings revealed the success of ongoing conservation efforts to eradicate grey squirrels from Aberdeen, with numerous reports of reds returning to the city and no greys spotted (although it is known they are still present in very small numbers). Contributions by the public also helped to detect low density grey squirrel incursion northwards in Perthshire and other Lowland areas, aiding conservationists in their efforts to protect the red-only population of the Scottish Highlands – the largest red-only area left in the UK hosting around 80% of Scotland’s native squirrels. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) Programme Manager Gail Turney said: “We are incredibly grateful to every single person who took the time to get outside, explore their local areas, and report sightings of grey and red squirrels to us this year. Public sightings are vital to the work we carry out, and it ...

The last few months have seen a few staffing changes in our scurry, including a new Community Coordination and Outreach Officer who will be focusing on our eradication work in Aberdeen, and a new Programme Manager to head up the SSRS team! Find out more in their own words:   Programme Manager: Gail Turney "Following several years working as highway design engineer and project manager, I re-kindled my love of nature through volunteering then working as a countryside ranger for RSPB and National Trust, spending my days managing ancient woodland, heathland and lowland wetland. From there I managed the delivery of habitat restoration projects including the restoration of coastal lagoons and marshes on Suffolk’s internationally important Orford Ness and Havergate Island.  Studying Ecology and Conservation and specialising in invertebrates, I was able to further explore my fascination with insects.  With a keen interest in scientific research more recently I managed the delivery of a Europe-wide scientific research project, working in a large partnership investigating the impacts of pesticides, pathogens and nutrition on bee health to inform European policy. I moved to Scotland this year driven by a passion to restore nature in this beautiful country.  Following a short spell restoring some magical habitats in the north of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, I’m delighted to join the SSRS team and am really excited about the opportunity to work collabo ...

As the warmth and brightness of summer give way to the colourful leaves and shorter days of autumn, the Scottish red squirrel is at their most active on the forest floor - caching food for the colder months ahead. The behaviour of red squirrels in autumn offers a window into the natural rhythm of the seasons, and it is the perfect time to go out to spot one.  If you are lucky enough to see a red squirrel, you can help contribute to their conservation. Between 30th Sept - 6th Oct Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is encouraging as many people as possible to submit their squirrel sightings as part of our annual citizen science campaign, the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey. Participating in the survey is simple and rewarding - you go outside, spot a squirrel (red or grey), and record your sighting - helping to collect valuable information that will inform future conservation action. Find out more about the survey at scottishsquirrels.org.uk/2024-great-scottish-squirrel-survey/ But for now, let’s get into notable red squirrel behaviours to look out for this autumn! Natural Foragers Red squirrels will be active over the next few months as they prepare for the colder months ahead. Autumn is when their natural food sources are most available, such as seeds and nuts from trees including pine, beech, hazel and oak - a feast for the red squirrel! As such reds will likely be easier to spot as they forage on the forest floor for mushrooms, acorns, seeds, fruits, and other ...

The award-winning environmental charity Trees for Life stands at the forefront of rewilding in the Scottish Highlands, and for over 30 years has been working to nurture and expand ancient woodland fragments and reintroduce missing animals. Red squirrels are an iconic Scottish species and a key resident of the Caledonian forest, but habitat loss from deforestation, human persecution, and competition and disease from grey squirrels are putting immense strain on populations of reds. The Scottish Highlands is the largest remaining stronghold for red squirrels in the UK, free from grey squirrels, and home to around 75% of Scotland’s total red squirrel populations. We hear from Trees for Life on how they are working to expand the distributions of red squirrels in the Highlands, and how you can help in these endeavours. Supporting reds Red squirrel conservation in Scotland currently involves both managing greys and creating new populations of reds. It is vital that grey squirrel populations are monitored and managed to ensure they don’t spread the life-threatening squirrel pox disease and encroach further north. Luckily, there are currently no resident grey squirrels in the Highlands thanks to longstanding SSRS and partner efforts. Large areas of open ground in some areas also help to limit the risks of grey expansion into the reds’ core range. Populations of red squirrels have traditionally been confined to the central and eastern Highlands. Thanks to the Red Squi ...

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) is calling on the public to get outside, explore nature, and take part in its annual nationwide Great Scottish Squirrel Survey next week. In a year with red and grey squirrels appearing in unexpected places, and the first death in Fife of a red squirrel due to squirrelpox, public sightings of both species are more important than ever. Running between 30th Sep – 6th Oct, the annual citizen science nature survey is a chance for members of the public to make a valuable contribution towards vital red squirrel conservation. Red squirrels are one of Scotland’s most loved animals, and our only native squirrel species. Once widespread throughout the country, in recent decades red squirrel populations have declined due to their replacement by introduced grey squirrels who outcompete them for food and habitat and spread the deadly squirrelpox virus. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, is working with local communities, landowners, partner organisations and volunteers to protect red squirrels in key priority areas where they are most under threat from greys. Programme Manager Nicole Still said: “Red and grey squirrels have turned up in some very unusual places in 2024 - from reds in urban areas such as Bishopbriggs, the first in Glasgow in many decades - to greys further north than we would normally expect. Alongside this we had our first confirmed death in the Central Lo ...

Summer is a wonderful time to appreciate Scotland’s charismatic red squirrels! From summer coats, to unusual foods, to well-deserved afternoon siestas. Read on below for our guide to their behaviours during this (sometimes!) sunny season for you to observe and enjoy! Perthshire Summer Red (c) Raymond Leinster Ear Tufts & Summer Coats The fur of red squirrels can vary from almost black to chestnut or light brown on the back, and from white to cream on their chest and stomach. A red squirrel will moult twice a year - with fur being replaced in spring and autumn - essential for keeping them cool or warm with the seasonal change. As a result, their coats will look much thinner in summer than they do in the winter. Also, during the summer season, for most reds, their distinctive pointy ear tufts thin out and are almost completely gone! So, if you’ve spotted a red squirrel in recent weeks, the chances are their easy-to-identify tufts will not be there – however never fear, they will return in the autumn! Summer Delicacies Red squirrels are omnivores and have surprisingly varied eating habits! Whilst the autumn tree harvests of nuts and seeds make up most of their diet later in the year, and shoots, tree flowers and buds supplement this in the spring, in the summer months – due to the lack of availability of these normally favourite foods – red squirrels may have to ‘branch out’ and try other delicacies! Tree bark, occasional songbird eggs, and insects ar ...

  Spring is an exciting time for our beloved red squirrels! From playful courtships in the trees to adorable new-born kits taking their first steps in the world, these furry creatures are busy as bees during the season of transformation. Want to know more about the behaviour of red squirrels in spring? Here's a guide to everything you need to know! Red Squirrel Spring Moult (c) Ian Skinner Coat Changes During the spring months red squirrels gradually shed their thicker winter coats, along with their endearing distinctive ear tufts. In recent years it has been observed that some reds are shedding their winter coats before the cooler shorter summer one grows in, resulting in some not-so-stylish bald patches April-June time! Never fear, if you see such a balding squirrel in your garden and it is eating and moving normally it is most likely healthy – just waiting for the summer outfit to grow in! Reproduction Spring marks the beginning of the breeding season, with squirrels already out and about as early as January and into the spring to engage in ‘mating chases’, where multiple males chase fertile females (only fertile for one day during their cycle) across the ground, around tree trunks, and through branches. It can be noisy, so keep your ears tuned for sounds of scrabbling claws, as well as chirping and calling! Nesting The exterior of breeding dreys resembles an untidy ball of sticks, however the interior boasts a soft lining of mosses, leaves and g ...

  In April, the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies confirmed the first death of a red squirrel from the squirrelpox virus north of Scotland’s Central Belt, having conducted tests on a dead squirrel found near Dunfermline in Fife. Squirrelpox is a virus carried by grey squirrels which, whilst not affecting them, can be lethal when passed to native red squirrels. Symptoms include ulcers, scabs and weeping lesions on the face, paws and genitalia, all of which can prevent reds from eating, drinking or moving. As a result, squirrelpox is usually fatal within two weeks and an outbreak can cause local populations to crash. The first known outbreak of squirrelpox in Scotland occurred in 2007 near Lockerbie and since then the disease has arisen in various red squirrel populations across south Scotland. However, this was the first time that a case has been confirmed north of Scotland’s Central Belt and it's arrival poses a major threat to Scotland’s more northerly red squirrels. Fortunately, no further cases have been detected north of the central belt in the last month. However, we are asking Fife residents to remain vigilant and to do the following: Report all sightings of both grey and red squirrels: scottishsquirrels.org.uk/squirrel-sightings/  Clean wildlife feeders regularly with an anti-viral disinfectant such as Virkon S: https://bit.ly/3tOHr9X  Send any dead red squirrel carcasses found for post-mortem: https ...

  The first identified death of a red squirrel from squirrelpox virus north of Scotland’s Central Belt has been confirmed on the outskirts of Dunfermline, Fife. This news could have serious consequences for the area’s red squirrel populations, and people living in the region are urged to remain vigilant. The case was confirmed via post-mortem examination of a red squirrel by the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, after the squirrel was posted in by a member of the public who found it whilst walking in woodlands on the northern outskirts of Dunfermline last month. This red squirrel had ulcers and scabs around the eyes and mouth, both of which were confirmed as pox virus using microscopic examination at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and electron microscopy at the Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge. Squirrelpox is a virus carried by grey squirrels which does not affect them but can be rapidly lethal when passed to red squirrels. Symptoms include ulcers, scabs and weeping lesions on the face, paws and genitalia, all of which can prevent reds from eating, drinking or moving. As a result, it is usually fatal within two weeks and an outbreak can cause local populations to crash. Liam Wilson, from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies said: “This is a worrying development for red squirrels in Scotland, as this case north of the Central Belt may be the prelude to squirrelpox expansion both locally ...