…which never materialises. Red squirrels, meanwhile are haring around, eating what they can, burying nuts, and scurrying in the direction of their dreys. Contrary to popular belief, squirrels do not hibernate. However they do spent less time in search of food, and more time sleeping. To provide warmth and protection from the elements during the coldest months, squirrels build winter… […]
Original Author: Lorna Hutchison Most people seem to think that taking school children into the woods getting them to cook lunch on an open campfire, then giving them axes and knives is crazy. But not at Green Aspirations. Over the last few weeks of the summer holidays I joined the team at Green Aspirations and school pupils from all… […]
One year on from it’s five-year Developing Community Action project, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels detail key successes of red squirrel conservation work, and advise on essential actions needed to ensure long-term survival of the species in Scotland. The final report of the £2.46 + million funded project, titled Saving an icon: Final report from the Developing Community Action Phase of… […]
…introduced to Aberdeen in the 1970s, rapidly spreading throughout the city and into surrounding Aberdeenshire. Through competition for food and living space they caused the region’s native red squirrel populations to decline rapidly, completely replacing them across the city. Years of grey squirrel control work carried out by Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has already removed grey squirrels from much of… […]
…from all over Scotland, and many hundreds of people responding to our call to take part in this mass citizen science event. We’d like to thank everybody who got involved, we couldn’t carry out our vital red squirrel conservation activities without the invaluable data gathered from the survey.” Mapping of the records confirms that the Highlands of Scotland remain a… […]
…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… […]
…these could have been blown over from elsewhere, so remember to take your surroundings into consideration. There are some handy mobile apps that you can use to help your detective work in the field, such as the Woodland Trust’s free tree ID app which guides you step-by-step through each feature you may find. It’s all in a name A top… […]
…woodland habitat. Grey squirrel contraception is the subject of research, as is the development of a squirrelpox vaccine. However, these are a long way from being ready for use and may be insufficient on their own. There are suggestions that in the future Scotland’s recovering pine martens could also play a role in controlling grey squirrel numbers in some areas…. […]
…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. This year, project partners are encouraging everyone in Scotland to go out and get squirrel spotting during Red Squirrel Awareness Week, and to add their sightings to the online map at scottishsquirrels.org.uk. Victoria… […]
…trapping may be squirrels, we also get plenty of birds, which is great as it keeps me on my toes with bird ID! Jays and great spotted woodpeckers are definitely the most common bird species detected on our cameras and they’re surprisingly expressive. Apart from these two species, I’ve recorded at least (carrion) crows, blue-, cole-, and great tits, wrens,… […]
