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… […]
…needed. SSRS staff will also be organising monthly drop-in sessions for Volunteer Network Admins and Sightings Verifiers for the groups. Community Hub Volunteer Network Admins and Sightings Verifiers: New sightings verifiers or volunteer network admins should be recruited and trained initially by independent groups, upon which SSRS will continue to provide support with permissions access to the Hub and Scottish… […]
…their Volunteer Network Admin, who will get in touch with the appropriate SSRS staff or volunteer support as needed. SSRS staff will also be organising monthly drop-in sessions for Volunteer Network Admins and Sightings Verifiers for the groups. Community Hub Volunteer Network Admins and Sightings Verifiers: New sightings verifiers or volunteer network admins should be recruited and trained initially by… […]
…virus, which first came to the UK with the introduction of non-native grey squirrels. The grey squirrels that carry squirrelpox display no symptoms, having long developed immunity to the disease. Unfortunately, red squirrel populations have not had a chance to develop widespread immunity, and in most cases the disease is fatal within a couple of weeks. At the moment, squirrelpox… […]
…toxins. Feeders should be emptied of old food periodically and scrubbed (just as you would wash up dirty plates before using them again). If you suspect disease in any of the visitors to the food you put out, then there are “bird-safe and pet-safe” disinfectants that can be used to safely improve the hygienic conditions for your wild guests. … […]
…Grey squirrels carry a deadly disease, called squirrel pox, that is easily transferred to red squirrels at feeders. If you feed the birds and have squirrels visiting too, it is vitally important that you regularly disinfect all feeders and bird tables. Use an animal-safe disinfectant, like Virkon, at least once a week to help prevent the spread of this killer… […]
…they were slow to visit the feeder boxes, seeming to prefer to keep exposure to the wet and cold to a minimum. As a result, some monitoring sites only registered the presence of squirrels in the last fortnight of the six-week surveys. Even so, for surveys in project areas north of the Central Belt, initial results suggest red squirrels are… […]
…safe haven for red squirrels and free from greys thanks to the hard work of staff, landowners, partner organisations and volunteers working along the geographical diagonal Highland Boundary Fault Line to stop grey incursion northwards. The results of the survey also reflect the significant success of efforts in Aberdeen over recent years, with only very small numbers reported from the… […]
