It's Red Squirrel Appreciation day

Albus_Scope

Yes folks it's time for yet another day of appreciation.  We've just had penguin appreciation day, now it's time to show some love to the humble red squirrel.

  Red squirrels used to be seen in many places across the UK, until the accidental introduction of the grey squirrel in the 1870 from North America.  Due to the greys being bigger, hungrier and unfortunately carrying some nasty diseases that the reds couldn't fight off, the reds numbers have been in decline. They can still be found in several places in the UK where their numbers are steadily growing.

  Currently there an estimated 140,000 red squirrels in the UK, with 75% of them living in Scotland.

  For a comparison, there's an estimated 2.5 million grey squirrels in the UK now. 

  Some people may see the humble squirrel as a garden pest, always running off with the bird food. But they play a very important part in the live cycle of trees and plants, with silly squirrels forgetting about nuts they bury, which later turn into trees and other much needed vegetation.  Thank you for your service my squirrel friends.  

  But it's not all bad news for the red squirrel!  Numbers of red squirrels are going up more and more each year, with a vaccine for the dreaded 'squirrelpox' being in the works now too. So maybe one day, our little red friends will be in our gardens again? 


[Picture shows a red squirrel either flying, or pretending to be a ninja] 

Do we have any other red squirrel fans here?
Have you ever seen a red squirrel in the flesh?

Let me know.

66Mustang

We see loads of squirrels on our dog walks. The dog likes to chase them but fortunately for the squirrels he hasn't mastered climbing up trees yet. I will have to pay attention in future because I never took any notice of whether they were red or grey, or indeed black which are supposedly even rarer. I (roughly) live in what at one time was the only area in Britain where black squirrels were seen, but apparently they have spread in the last 25 years or so and can be seen, still uncommonly, across several counties now!!!

Albus_Scope

Chances are they'll be grey squirrels, unless you're very lucky. But a black squirrel sighting would be something else! Though I believe they're just grey squirrels with more melanin? Melanism is the term I think?

A friend has an albino grey visiting them, it's super cute.  

JessieJ

I love all squirrels, they are real characters. I used to live in France & we had some in the garden, which had lots of various trees, a favourite was the hazelnuts for obvious reasons. One was right beside me when sat in my chair & it was wonderful watching them gathering, burying & eating the nuts. We had a huge cedar tree & they use to chase each other around it, at some speed, it was amazing. Here's a photo of one little fella eating a hazelnut.

Albus_Scope

Oh that's so amazing @JessieJ, I'm very jealous! 

We had grey squirrel visitors last year, I named one of them Pat, as that's what she did to the ground all the time.  I've not seen much of them this year which is a shame. I'm a huge squirrel fan.  

Beaver79

I have never seen a red squirrel in the flesh, but we have several grey squirrels in the garden.

JessieJ

Grey squirrels are characters too & fun to watch, as you found out, @Albus_Scope, with your fitting name for it.

Do you feed yours, @Beaver79? I lived in a flat & used to put birdseed on the windowsill & launch fatballs on string onto branches of a tree that was 4/5ft away.

The grey squirrels sniffed them out & would eat them. One day, I went into the lounge & there was one on the windowsill, I was gobsmacked & delighted. Did mean I had to keep the window shut if I went out though.

Beaver79

Yes they eat the birdseed I put out @JessieJ

Ada

I adore them. All of them. Have had them in a garden. And when I lived in Bournemouth many years a go. There was a special walk through Full of squirrels. You could walk through and they never ran away just carried on doing their thing. I loved it on a daily walk to work. 

woodbine

we get lots of squirrels sadly mostly grey but we do see the odd red one, a plus of living in a rural area

JessieJ

Here you go, @Albus_Scope, a day late but don't need a special day really. Have videos of the chase around the tree, don't think I can show one of them, but this is a collage I made up of photos I took of them, with an interloper.

Albus_Scope

Haha, thanks for sharing @JessieJ, they're beautiful!  Yes, even the toady friend, who I also happen to love.  

66Mustang

Sorry for going wildly off topic, but I saw a black squirrel today!!!

Sandy_123

I have 1 that lives in the huge tree at the bottom of the garden. I had l9ts of different nuts lefts over from Xmas 2 years ago and put them down for him. He tucked in

JessieJ

You're welcome, @Albus_Scope. I love when he was burying nuts, bum up in the air.

Not off topic, @66Mustang, it's not red day now. Lucky you!  There was a news item on black squirrels some years back, some towns have quite a lot, around Woburn & getting an ever bigger spread.