…there are also many privately-owned woodland plots in between. Despite the threat from grey squirrels the Solway forests are still home to healthy red squirrel populations, attracting tourists and enchanting residents alike. As a result, many locals understand the need to take action to protect them from further decline. The main frontline for grey squirrel incursion in the area is… […]
…their red squirrels are relatively common and healthy compared to ours. They aren’t battling a larger competitor, nor the diseases brought by them, like our red squirrels are. Squirrel pox is a horrible, debilitating disease that kills the red squirrels that is carried by (some) grey squirrels which seem to be immune to the disease. If we could reduce the… […]
…animals – after the breeding season there are a lot of squirrels about, so you might find your numbers go up in late summer. Let us know if there has been any period of prolonged absence. There could be a variety of reasons for this, but most often it is simply that the squirrels have gone back into the woods… […]
…you have a reasonable chance of seeing red squirrels year-round and the best time of day to see them is the morning. In the summer they can be seen throughout the day but again your best chance of seeing them is morning or early evening. Once you’ve wandered off the beaten track, search for signs of squirrels. Although squirrels (particularly… […]
…therefore during the summer months before fruits, conifer seed and nuts are ripe, when their natural food is in short supply. In autumn when plenty of natural food is available, the squirrels may stop coming to your garden, but they will probably return in the winter. Continued feeding throughout the winter will also provide an additional boost to the squirrels… […]
…line, where the grey squirrels of the Central Belt meet Scotland’s core red squirrel populations in the Highlands. It’s therefore crucial that we prevent the greys from spreading any further north, and that their numbers are reduced to allow nearby red populations to recolonise the area. Our data shows that red squirrels completely disappeared from Loch Lomond’s western shore except… […]
…Lottery players. Lucy Casot, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “Many of us have a soft spot for red squirrels and sighting one in the flesh is an exciting but sadly, increasingly rare experience. Thanks to National Lottery players’ support, organisations and communities can now join forces to help protect and care for Scotland’s red squirrel population.”… […]
…the more sightings we receive the better our understanding will be.” Grey squirrels are a non-native species that was first introduced to Britain in Victorian times, and they are recognised as the main threat to the red squirrel’s future in Scotland. Larger and more robust, they out-compete native reds for resources. In the south of Scotland some grey squirrels also… […]
