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Science/nature/environment

Red squirrels

(27 Posts)
broomsticks Thu 21-Aug-14 19:55:51

We have some in Teesdale! Yay! Not that I have seen them but brilliant all the same.

susieb755 Thu 21-Aug-14 20:06:08

We have them on Brownsea Island as well !
I also saw lots of them in a park in Berlin, so I presume they dont have german greys ?

whitewave Thu 21-Aug-14 21:03:35

When the children were in their early teens we took them to Scotland north of Inverness.

Whilst out walking in some ancient Caledonian woods, we sat having an picnic and one came down onto to the forest floor fiddling around and eventually simply curled up and went to sleep on the ground! Rather delightful though.

Stansgran Thu 21-Aug-14 21:05:39

May I have some? I would love a colony in Durham. We have grey ones and did love to see them depart.

Mishap Thu 21-Aug-14 21:09:07

How lovely! The only time I saw them was when I was about 17 when I was in West Berlin.

J52 Fri 22-Aug-14 08:30:22

We have some in the garden, in SW Scotland. They went into the garage and took the fleece from paint rollers for their nests! Absolutely love them. X

suebailey1 Fri 22-Aug-14 09:11:27

ours are all grey!

grannyisland Fri 22-Aug-14 22:33:16

Come to Arran - we have no greys, so the reds reign supreme! (No foxes either)

Agus Fri 22-Aug-14 22:44:45

I see them occasionally in W Scotland but have seen lots in Nairn. Babies and adults running around. Beautiful!

durhamjen Fri 22-Aug-14 23:41:28

Stansgran, there are red squirrels in Hell Hole wood, near Beamish and at the Derwent Reservoir. They've also been seen lately near Barnard Castle.

Stansgran Sat 23-Aug-14 08:47:19

Thank you . I'm going to Beamish again next week .might take a detour

tiggypiro Sat 23-Aug-14 08:58:00

How brilliant broomsticks ! Where abouts in Barney were they seen? Are there any otters on the river now? As a kid in the 50's I remember watching otter hounds hunting them which I think wiped them out.

durhamjen Sat 23-Aug-14 13:02:13

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/11376622.Increased_sightings_of_elusive_red_squirrels_in_Teesdale/

goldengirl Sat 23-Aug-14 14:56:55

I'm from the Isle of Wight and never saw a grey one until I moved to the mainland. The red ones are soooo cute.

Flowerofthewest Sat 23-Aug-14 18:57:17

We have Black ones in Letchworth

tiggypiro Sat 23-Aug-14 18:59:52

Thanks durhamjen. Reading the Echo takes me back a bit !

Charleygirl Sat 23-Aug-14 20:59:09

I only saw red sqirrels in Fife where I was brought up. Very different when I moved to London, only greys, I have not seen a red squirrel for many years.

durhamjen Sun 24-Aug-14 00:58:49

I usually only read it online,tiggy. I also read the Hull Daily Mail, as that's where I'm from originally, and the York Press, as that's where we lived for ten years.
I learnt to read sitting on my dad's knee, reading the Hull Daily Mail, before I started school. I like the local papers as you learn a lot about the area, such as where badgers are, as well as red squirrels.
A few years ago Northumberland culled thousands of grey squirrels to save their reds. Living in North Durham, we can just go over the border to find a lot more reds than in Durham.
You must get a lot in North Yorkshire, though.
Have you looked on the Woodland Trust site to find out where?

Iam64 Sun 24-Aug-14 19:52:26

We seem only to have clever, cunning little grey squirrels in the north west. It's great to visit the Lakes though, where the red squirrels are still to be seen.

Nelliemoser Sun 24-Aug-14 23:36:38

They cull them in the Lake District as well. It's the alien species problem again. Japanese Knot weed. Himalayan Balsam, Canada Geese. and many more.

durhamjen Sun 24-Aug-14 23:50:37

I heard last week that they were culling the last of the ruddy ducks.
Used to go to a pub called the Ruddy Duck near the wildfowl trust place at Peakirk. Apparently they mate too easily with the local duck population.

durhamjen Mon 25-Aug-14 00:03:00

Have you all voted for Bob, the red squirrel on the rspb website?

seasider Mon 25-Aug-14 08:06:59

Iam is the red squirrel sanctuary still.open at Formby? I know they lost some to disease a few years ago. They have red squirrels at Center Parcs near Penrith. We were very entertained watching them from our lodge.

seasider Mon 25-Aug-14 08:12:53

Just checked and the red squirrel reserve at Formby is still there. Free parking for NT members I think and a nice beach nearby. You would also be near enough to go and see the Anthony Gormley statues at Crosby. smile

MaggieP Mon 25-Aug-14 08:32:09

We see them around where we stay near Keswick every September. During the week, we count how many we see, there are feeders out to encourage them. Last year was good but sometimes there are very few, & woe betide if a grey one is viewed, that is a reporting matter.
The reds are very sweet.