News and Blogs

  Since way back in 2019 there has been a plan to build a hide from which we could watch and photograph woodland wildlife near Gatehouse. Finally, this mission has been accomplished with a launch event held in Cally Woods on Wednesday 10 November. This project has been led by the Gatehouse Squirrel Group, and its members’ generous donations covered the cost of all the necessary materials. Kevin Hughes of Cally Gardens welcomed the idea of hosting the hide in woodland that he owns behind and above his celebrated walled garden: we are very grateful to him for this access. A few dedicated Squirrel Group members have built the hide itself, using recycled timber whenever possible. The tree canopy has been opened up and the understorey cleared in places by the National Scenic Area volunteer team and others. Kevin intends plant a wide range of shrubs within view of the hide, to provide sources of food such as wild fruits and nuts for red squirrels, as well as any passing badgers and foxes. This vegetation will also host more invertebrates to entice many songbird species into view, including the pied flycatcher, a stunning and rare summer visitor already nesting in the vicinity. Even the roof of the hide will be planted up by Kevin with ferns, bilberries and other species in due course! Access to the hide has been encouraged by Forestry and Land Scotland as the custodians of the Cally Woods so many people enjoy visiting. The shortest route to take starts at the car park n ...

Red squirrel conservation is lending a helping hand to another iconic Scottish species, the golden eagle. Grey squirrels caught as part of essential population control work in the Moffat area are being used to feed hungry juveniles that have recently been released into the surrounding hills.   The Moffat & District Red Squirrel Group is a network of volunteers who have come together to protect their local red squirrels, with support from the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project. While the south of Scotland is home to healthy populations of red squirrels, they are seriously threatened by the spread of grey squirrels. Grey squirrels are an invasive species that out-competes native red squirrels for food and living space. They can also carry squirrelpox, a virus that does not harm them but is fatal to red squirrels. Dumfries & Galloway has suffered several squirrelpox outbreaks in recent years, but thanks to concerted grey squirrel control efforts the affected red populations have been able to bounce back. Alistair Graham of the Moffat & District Red Squirrel Group said: “It is widely recognized in the community that the main reason there have been so few red squirrels seen around Moffat is due to the influx of grey squirrels into the area. We are carrying out a very successful trapping programme with the support of local landowners and householders. Already this year we have had more than double the number of reported red squirrel sightings c ...

  If you are volunteering your time to help with grey squirrel control in your local patch, you might feel like your efforts are a drop in the ocean. But stay connected with the project and you’ll see the difference we can make when we all work together.   The greatest threat to the red squirrel’s future in Scotland is the spread of grey squirrels. Classified as an invasive non-native species, it is widely acknowledged that targeted, landscape-scale grey squirrel population control is essential if we want to reverse the decline of Scotland’s red squirrels. It’s a huge undertaking, but fortunately there are many passionate and experienced landowners and individuals volunteering to do their bit across priority areas. At Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels we understand that our decision to control grey squirrels comes with great responsibility, not just to ensure that all our staff and volunteers are acting legally but also safely and humanely. This is why the Standard Operating Procedures for everyone who traps on our behalf go beyond the legal minimum. If you are a grey squirrel control volunteer you’ll have received a copy of this protocol as part of your training, alongside all other essential health & safety documentation. It’s a good idea to look over these regularly, and the easiest way to keep up-to-date is by joining the SSRS Community Hub. There you’ll find all the latest versions of grey squirrel control documentation, as well as ...

  We are fast approaching the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey 2021, and following last year’s fantastic response we are really looking forward to seeing this year’s results. For those who haven’t participated before, the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey is a week-long event in September when we call on the general public to keep an eye out for red and grey squirrels in their area and submit their sightings to Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels.   Why do we do this? The information we get from your squirrel sightings gives us a clear picture of both red and grey squirrel movements, and helps us and our volunteers to direct our control efforts where they are most needed. It also gives us a year on year comparison of red and grey squirrel distribution throughout Scotland so we can measure the progress of the project.   How do you submit your sightings? It’s very easy – just head to our website and on the homepage you can see the sightings information with a button for reporting a squirrel sighting. You will be asked for a grid reference, however if you are unable to supply this you can drop a pin on the map and a grid reference will be generated. If you have any additional comments on behaviour or location these can be really helpful, especially if you live in a squirrelpox hotspot (the south of Scotland) and think a red squirrel looks poorly.   Verification Our job is to look at each sighting to make sure that all the details are ...

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is calling on the public to take part in the nationwide Great Scottish Squirrel Survey between 20-26 September (National Red Squirrel Week). Now in its third year, the survey is needed more than ever due to the impact of Covid-19. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) is a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, which is working in priority areas across Scotland to protect red squirrels from the spread of the non-native grey squirrel. Gill Hatcher, SSRS Communications & Engagement Officer said: “We are asking everyone in Scotland to go out and enjoy the outdoors during Red Squirrel Week, look out for both red and grey squirrels and add your sightings to our online map at scottishsquirrels.org.uk.” 2020’s Great Scottish Squirrel Survey was a record-breaking year, with 3160 squirrel sightings reported in just one week. Sightings help SSRS create a picture of the situation on the ground, and directly contribute to red squirrel conservation action. This year’s Great Scottish Squirrel Survey is all the more important because Covid-19 lockdown restrictions forced the cancellation of the project’s spring surveys in both 2020 and 2021. These annual systematic surveys, which used baited squirrel-hair sampling boxes at over 200 specific locations, provided robust distribution data for both red and grey squirrels that was invaluable for comparing the fortunes of squirrels from year-to-year. Project Manager ...

  Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is urging locals to be on high alert and report sightings of grey squirrels in Aberfeldy, following worrying reports in recent days. Known as a safe haven for red squirrels, grey squirrels are not typically seen in the Aberfeldy area. The main threat to the red squirrel’s future in Scotland is the spread of grey squirrels. A non-native invasive species, grey squirrels out-compete reds for food and living space and can also carry squirrelpox, a virus which doesn’t harm them but is fatal to red squirrels. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) is a National Lottery-funded partnership project, led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, which is working in key areas across Scotland to reduce the spread of grey squirrels. In Tayside, the project is focused on what is known as the ‘Highland Line’ – a 10km-wide strip which runs from Montrose, through Kirriemuir, Dunkeld, Crieff and beyond to the west. Thanks to ongoing conservation efforts along the Highland Line, Aberfeldy and the surrounding area has typically been considered a safe haven for our native species. This changed in the summer and autumn of last year when there were at least three grey squirrel sightings near Crieff Road and ‘The Birks of Aberfeldy’. With support from the local community a grey squirrel was removed from nearby Pitlochry, but despite concerted efforts the Aberfeldy greys had not been spotted again until this month. Now two confirmed sightings ...

  Kat Fingland joined SSRS in May 2021 as the new Conservation Officer for South West Scotland. Prior to starting the role, she has spent the past five years researching the red squirrels of Formby, Merseyside, for her PhD at Nottingham Trent University, studying how red squirrels have adapted to live alongside people in urban environments.   Approximately two-thirds of the global population are predicted to be living in urban areas by 2050, altering the natural environment and presenting new challenges for our wildlife species. Historically, urban areas have been ignored as suitable wildlife habitats. However, there is increasing evidence that these environments can have plentiful resources and support a wide range of biodiversity, so there has been a growing interest in researching urban wildlife ecology in recent years. Although some species are negatively impacted by urban developments, others are able to adapt and even thrive in these new conditions; one such urban-adaptable species being the red squirrel. My PhD research aims to find out how red squirrels are able to live in urban environments, including how they exploit the available resources like supplemental food whilst avoiding or adapting to potential risks such as roads. I hope that the findings will contribute to the long-term conservation of this endangered native species, both in the study site and elsewhere in the UK. Data Collection Fieldwork took place during the summers of 2017 to 2 ...

  The Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) is an important piece of UK-wide legislation that protects some of our most vulnerable species, including red squirrels. Under Schedule 5 of this law it is illegal to intentionally kill, harm or disturb a red squirrel; a vital asset in our efforts to save them.   A review being led by the UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) has proposed changes to the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) which could potentially remove this protection, and that of many other iconic yet threatened Scottish species, including pine martens. The proposed changes could mean that only those species “in imminent danger of extinction” would be afforded protection. Thanks to years of dedicated conservation efforts and public support, Scotland’s red squirrels are continuing to thrive north of the Highland Line, with healthy populations in many parts of the south of Scotland. Yet the position of the red squirrel in Scotland is still a precarious one— removing protections now could put everything we have worked for at risk. Pine martens, which are known to help boost red squirrel numbers, are only just beginning to recover following decades of persecution. If we wait until these species are on the brink of extinction, it may already be too late to save them. In response, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels lead partner the Scottish Wildlife Trust has co-signed an open letter to the JNCC, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales ...

  A series of digitally guided walking routes have been launched by the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project to help visitors and locals discover more about one of the country's most iconic yet threatened mammals.   Known for their red squirrel populations, the selected sites will provide an opportunity for a wild encounter whilst learning more about the species, their habitat and efforts to protect them. The ‘Red Squirrel Ramble’ trails guide walkers through ancient and historic woodlands, as well as scenic areas where red squirrels have made a recent comeback thanks to conservation efforts. Interactive walks are available at Hazlehead Park in Aberdeen, Atholl Estates’ Glen Tilt in Blair Atholl, RSPB Scotland’s Loch Lomond Reserve and the Woodland Trusts’ St. Ronans Wood in Innerleithen. They can be accessed on a mobile device through the ‘MyGeoAdventure’ app. Walkers will be guided step-by-step through their journey, prompted with quizzes, challenges and the opportunity to collect wildlife tokens. Funded by National Lottery players, the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project operates in areas where red squirrels are most at risk from the threat of invasive non-native grey squirrels. Project Manager Dr. Mel Tonkin said: “The walking trails are not only fantastic places to catch sight of a red squirrel in action, they are also located in the key project areas where we are working to ensure the ...

  Covid-19 has presented a number of challenges since the start of the year and we are delighted to announce that, with the easing of restrictions, we can now begin to welcome wider Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels volunteers back into the field in perfect time for National Volunteers' Week. We want to start by thanking everyone for their patience over the last year. We have been blown away by the enthusiasm and commitment that volunteers have shown throughout this difficult time. Creativity is one thing that certainly hasn’t been restricted, as we’ve witnessed Red Squirrel Network Groups adapt and rise to the challenge - from producing calendars for raising funds, to engaging with local schools and sharing educational activities online. Together, we’ve been able to continue raising awareness for red squirrel conservation in Scotland.   Following the latest Government guidelines, we have produced new advice on Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels volunteer activities which can now recommence in areas Level 2 and under, where restrictions on the number of people meeting outside or indoors can be met, and a Covid-19 Risk Assessment followed. Volunteers can now undertake operational survey work, which was previously suspended All face to face training activities can now recommence, including trail camera and operational survey training for volunteers In-person Volunteer Network Group meetings can now commence, adhering to Government guidelin ...