News and Blogs

  Bob Peace from the Glenkens Red Squirrel Group shares his inspiration for getting involved in red squirrel conservation and explains how the volunteer group has gone from strength to strength in recent times.   As a young boy growing up in West Yorkshire in the 1950s, red squirrels were a common sight and grey squirrels were just pictures in nature books. How things change? When I moved to Dumfries and Galloway in the early 70s grey squirrels were a rarity, still confined to the south and a few pockets within the Central Belt and red squirrels were frequently seen in many parts of the region. Fast forward forty years and the picture changed. More greys were being reported, fewer reds were seen and action was required to conserve the population of red squirrels. We were losing our iconic red squirrels. I didn’t want my grandchildren to grow up seeing grey squirrels and only pictures of red squirrels in nature books! So I got involved initially with the Spring Survey at two sites in the Glenkens locality which I found very rewarding. Then in autumn 2014 a public meeting was held in New Galloway, hosted by Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels to discuss the future conservation of the red squirrel. Government funding was being reduced and the future of SSRS was in the balance. Local groups of volunteers were seen to be the answer. From seeds sown at this meeting the Glenkens Red Squirrel Group was formed with a small nucleus of dedicated volunteers. Now the ...

  The Solway Forests Red Squirrel Network, one of the newest volunteer networks to emerge in South Scotland, is raising funds and awareness through an amateur photography competition.   Have you taken a red squirrel photograph that you’re particularly proud of? With their fondness for scurrying high amongst the trees, it’s not always easy to capture a red squirrel on camera. However, a quick scroll down the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels Facebook feed demonstrates that many of our followers have had great success. The Solway Forests Red Squirrel Network is inviting amateur photographers to enter their 2019 photography competition. All funds raised will go towards the group’s red squirrel conservation activities, from grey squirrel control work to community engagement. They are looking for atmospheric and engaging photographs of red squirrels, taken anywhere in Scotland, to include in their 2019 calendar. The winning photograph will be featured on the front cover of the calendar, and 11 others will be selected for each month of 2019. Started in August 2017, Solway Forests is one of the newest red squirrel volunteer networks to emerge in South Scotland. The group formed when a number of local residents became concerned about increasing reports of grey squirrel activity in the area and decided to do something about it. The Network’s range covers the forests that stretch along the scenic Solway coast, from Dumfries to Dalbeattie. Much o ...

  Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is urging the public to be on the lookout as recent grey squirrel sightings have been reported in crucial areas for red squirrel conservation. The project has received reports of recent grey squirrel activity around both Ellon and St Cyrus, prompting a call for locals to record sightings of both red and grey squirrels online. The grey squirrel is an invasive species that was introduced to Britain from North America. They out-compete red squirrels for food and living space and some also carry squirrelpox, a virus that doesn’t harm grey squirrels but is deadly to reds. Grey squirrels were first introduced to Aberdeen in the 1970s, rapidly spreading throughout the city and into surrounding Aberdeenshire, causing the region’s red squirrel populations to decline rapidly. Years of grey squirrel control work carried out by Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has already removed grey squirrels from much of Aberdeenshire, allowing red squirrels to return to places such as Ellon and even some parts of Aberdeen. A 2017 survey conducted by the project indicated that red squirrel populations in the North East have increased, while remaining stable elsewhere in the country. Bob Coyle The reason for the recent increase in grey squirrel sightings in Aberdeenshire is unclear but may be due to young grey squirrels from this year’s breeding season spreading out to look for new habitat. Dr Gwen Maggs, Saving Scotland’s Red Squir ...

  By Rebecca Witt   Earlier this year, student and wildlife photographer Rebecca Witt spent some time with Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels as part of her mission to capture Britain’s red squirrel conservation movement on camera.   Hello! My name is Rebecca and I had the pleasure of working with Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) for my final year university project about red squirrel conservation in the UK. Throughout the last year, I have travelled across the UK to photograph and document the various ways we help red squirrel populations, and the people that are behind these important projects and initiatives. Thanks to SSRS, I had the opportunity to learn more about their Spring Survey. The survey is completed every year to gain a better understanding of which areas are inhabited by red and grey squirrels, and any population changes that occur with both species. I spent the day with Val, a volunteer in Southern Scotland, and she kindly took me to two different sites that she monitors every two weeks during the survey period. It was lovely to meet her and see first-hand the work that she and many others dedicate to conserving our only native squirrel. The photographs below feature the survey process with Val, and exactly what she gets up to on her visits. If you like what you see, then more of my project can be seen at: www.rwitt.co.uk

  By Andrew Vickery and Brian Fishwick   1-7 June is Volunteers’ Week, a chance to say thank you to the hundreds of volunteers who make saving Scotland’s red squirrels possible. We asked two of our spring survey volunteers to tell us more about their experience, including the highlights (and challenges!) of monitoring squirrel populations in Scotland.   Helping red squirrels to hold their own I’ve been a volunteer with the project for about 7 years, the spring survey being my main activity. The initial interest for me is the anticipation of lifting the lid on the feeder boxes to see if there have been any visitors, and to wonder at the ingenuity of squirrels in working out how to get at the food inside, but I love being outdoors anyway and the survey gets me into the woods at a lovely time of year. The new growth underfoot and in the trees is an attraction in itself and the birdlife is always interesting – woodpeckers in particular in one of the woods I visit. I have enjoyed being in places I might otherwise never have visited without being involved in the survey, sometimes alone, sometimes answering questions from passing walkers interested in what I’m doing. One highlight was when I’d just filled a feeder box and was bending down to pick up the container of squirrel feed – to spot a red squirrel some two feet away, eyeing up the container at close quarters, then eyeing up me and deciding to head for the feeder box instead. Another was a ...

  By Dr Sarah Garven   It’s about this time of year that many red squirrels set to work on producing a second litter of kits. Guest blogger Dr Sarah Garven gives us an insight into the life of a red squirrel during the busy breeding season.   Spring has made its late but very welcome appearance after the erratic and inclement winter weather. An abundance of natural wonders are associated with springtime and as for many other species, is when birthing and nurturing young become a priority for red squirrels. Watching red squirrels is always rewarding and there are behaviours specific to this time of year to look out for.   Mating Mating behaviour may have begun as early as December and can continue through the spring and summer. Females are only fertile for one day in each cycle and several males compete for the right to mate. Adult squirrels racing around are likely to be participating in a ‘mating chase’, where multiple males chase a fertile female. Squirrels chase across the ground, race round tree trunks and leap through the branches. It can be noisy, with the sounds of scrabbling claws as well as chirping and calling, and results in a brief mating episode frequently with the heaviest male earning the right to mate.   Breeding Dreys The exterior appearance of breeding dreys resembles an untidy ball of sticks, however the interior boasts a soft lining of mosses, leaves and grasses. Breeding dreys tend to be fairly large, around ...

  Red squirrels AND red kites? Yes please! We were delighted to hear that a new red squirrel hide will open today at Argaty Red Kites.   Located near Doune in Perthshire, Argaty has managed a red kite feeding station since 1996. Previously persecuted to extinction, these native birds of prey were successfully reintroduced to the area by RSPB Scotland. Argaty Red Kites has since become a popular tourist attraction and education centre, where bringing people closer to Scotland's wildlife goes hand in hand with protecting and supporting it. The new Woodland Hide is more than just a great opportunity for photographers and wildlife enthusiasts to see another one of Scotland's iconic species, it also marks a significant milestone in the area's red squirrel conservation journey. The Woodland Hide can host up to three people at one time and is custom-built for photography. © Argaty Red Kites   Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels has been monitoring squirrel populations in the area since 2012. At first, only grey squirrels were detected on the Argaty estate. Then, in 2013/14 the map changed from blue to purple as both species began to show up. And finally, in 2017, the site returned a 'red only' result, the first time in this area since the survey began. Targeted control work at Argaty and neighbouring estates has ensured that grey squirrel numbers in the area have been kept sufficiently low enough to allow red squirrels to repopulate their old territo ...

Original Author: Dr Stephanie Johnstone One month on, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels believe that the squirrelpox outbreak in Heathhall no longer poses an immediate threat to the local red squirrel population. However, we still need ongoing support from volunteers and the wider community.   Spotting a red squirrel on your morning walk should be something to get excited about, a sign that your local environment is providing for its native wildlife. So we were naturally concerned when we received reports that some of the red squirrels in Heathhall Forest, a popular community woodland outside Dumfries, were not looking well. The evidence we could gather all pointed to squirrelpox as the most likely cause. You can read more about the situation and our initial response here. One of the infected red squirrels, photographed by Lisa Fuller Our first action was to remove any feeder boxes that had been installed in the woodland, to reduce inter-species and intra-species contact and therefore reduce the chances of the disease spreading further. We then set up live traps in the area with two aims. Firstly, we wanted to capture any infected red squirrels so that we could isolate those squirrels from the rest of the population and obtain pathology samples for testing. Secondly, we wanted to remove any grey squirrels from the area. Fortunately, all the red squirrels that were caught (and released) appeared healthy with no signs of the disease. Although this mea ...

Original Author: Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels has received multiple reports of red squirrels with suspected Squirrelpox virus in Heathall Forest on the outskirts of Dumfries. Locals are urged to remain vigilant as this fatal disease could have serious consequences for the local red squirrel population.   Within the past fortnight, several individual red squirrels have been spotted by both project staff and members of the public which appear to display classic symptoms of the deadly disease. Squirrelpox is a virus that is carried by grey squirrels without them being affected. Native red squirrels do not typically have immunity. Symptoms include weeping lesions on the face, paws and genitalia, which prevent the red squirrel from eating, drinking or moving. As a result, it is usually fatal within two weeks and an outbreak can cause local numbers to crash. Wildlife feeder boxes and garden bird tables are a common cause of Squirrelpox outbreaks, as they bring squirrels of both species into closer contact with one another. A Heathhall red squirrel, photographed by Lisa Fuller Dr Stephanie Johnstone, Conservation Officer for Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels said: "In conjunction with Forestry Commission Scotland, who manage Heathhall, we have deployed emergency Squirrelpox outbreak response measures.  All feeder boxes found on site have been removed and trapping has commenced to isolate any sick red squirrels and remove any gr ...

The grey squirrel is one of the country’s most widely recognised animals, but not everyone knows that it is a non-native species. As 23 – 29 March is ‘Invasive Species Week’, we reflect on the progress that’s been made in managing and preventing the negative impact of grey squirrels on their native counterparts in Scotland.   Invasive Species Week is an initiative by the GB Non-native Species Secretariat to raise awareness of the harm invasive species can do to our natural heritage, and let people know what they can do to help. The grey squirrel is a North American species that was first brought to Britain in Victorian times to decorate the grounds of stately homes. This deliberate introduction had unintended consequences when the squirrels quickly spread far beyond their original range. As a larger and more robust species, they are able to out-compete our native red squirrel for food and living space. Some grey squirrels also carry Squirrelpox – a virus lethal to reds but to which the greys are immune. When Squirrelpox is present, the replacement process is 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 reverse this decline, ens ...