…in the following months. Populations will show increases in reproduction in the years that follow good food crops. Following a set 1 kilometre transect line, I stop every 100 metres to assess what tree species are present and the amount of food available within the area. The transects have taken me through deciduous woodland with bramble thickets dominating the woodland… […]
…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,… […]
…for the pine martens to save. Don’t pine martens eat red squirrels too? Yes, but both are native Scottish species, adapted to live together as part of a balanced woodland ecosystem. Although sad for the individual squirrel, the level of predation on reds does not appear to negatively affect their populations in the long term. However, it should be pointed… […]
…the spread of non-native grey squirrels. Grey squirrels, which were introduced to Britain from North America in the 19th Century, out-compete red squirrels for resources, and can also carry squirrelpox, a virus that doesn’t harm them but is deadly to reds. The 2017 survey results show that red squirrel populations have remained stable in the past year, a sign that… […]
…level of involvement of our volunteers and local communities. They will be pivotal in making sure that there is a rapid response system in place in the event of a grey squirrel population surge. “I certainly don’t think the challenge is too large – in fact I think it’s exciting! We have such an incredible team of volunteers across… […]
…get any young wildlife watchers in the making excited for squirrel spotting. Build a window wildlife hide If you can’t get outside this week, why not take up a spot of window wildlife watching? You could whip up a homemade hide in no time with minimal materials, perfect for squirrel spotting in secret. All you need is an old… […]
…very alarming figure! However, our survey isn’t designed to count squirrel numbers, it’s designed to help us understand how red and grey squirrel distribution is changing over time. In the report, 59 was quoted as the number of locations in the south of Scotland that were surveyed in both 2017 and 2018, and could therefore be compared. The figure isn’t… […]
…Aspirations (hence the campfire, axes and knives), which is where I came in. I taught them about squirrel ecology, explained why the Grey Squirrel is a threat, destroyed squirrel myths (nope, they don’t hibernate!), asked them to search for signs of squirrel activity (cone debris, scratch marks etc.), to build dreys (squirrel nests), and encouraged them to look for squirrels… […]
…In accordance with government guidelines, priority grey squirrel control work must be undertaken unaccompanied (or only in the presence of people from the same household). Volunteers must also remain within a short distance of their local community (broadly within 5 miles) and not undertake any unnecessary travel. Before recommencing any grey squirrel control work, we ask people to think about… […]
