North England Formby National Trust Red Squirrel Reserve

That's a real shame, they're wonderful little creatures - we really should do more to cull the grey squirrel population before they wipe out the reds.

If ever you're down south, you should come to the Isle of Wight - we've got them everywhere. There are no grey squirrels here at all, so they thrive - especially as a lot of people put feeders for them in their gardens (as well as the wild).

https://flic.kr/p/2jimS7V
View: https://www.flickr.com/photos/skyraspberry/50079565641/in/dateposted-public/
 
nigpd said:
Visited this morning and didn't see a single Red :(

Have they all been wiped out by the pox/another virus?
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I went to Formby this week with my mum. Disappointed to not see any red squirrels. Last visit 18 months ago we saw a couple. A local woman in the car park explained that the numbers have really declined over the last couple of years due to squirrel pox. As the NT aren't feeding the squirrels, they have retreated to local gardens and won't be seen in the woods. She kindly offered for me and my mum to visit her garden as she sees red squirrels most days, but we declined as we wouldn't have felt comfortable turning up to her house when we'd only just met. I don't know if the NT are planning on reintroducing feeding, they seem very quiet on the issue. We weren't the only disappointed people there, so I think the NT should be informing people about the situation.
 
northcountrygirl said:
A local woman in the car park explained that the numbers have really declined over the last couple of years due to squirrel pox.
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Which is of course carried and spread by grey squirrels that aren't badly affected by it, but it wipes out the red population in a very short space of time.

Unless something is done soon I don't think it will be long before we just won't see any red squirrels any more.

There is NOTHING positive about grey squirrels unless you intend to eat them and I don't like the taste.
 
Still plenty on Anglesey luckily
 
I also went to Formby last year and didn't see a single Red ..... was told the locals have been asked to stop feeding them but as the reserve has also stopped feeding I don't know what's going to happen.
 
It is my understanding that Reds are more arboreal compared to Grey's. Yes, Reds will be attracted to ground level feeding supplements but their tree living nature means they will be less often seen.

So, the question is what are the actual numbers known and whether they are/have been dropping ???
 
I read this yesterday which might help - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-62096272.

I don't know if the way the contrceptive works in specfic to greys but a study showed that the only other animals that got into the bait box were two mice, but the study period was only four days!

There is also a possible impact of pine martens on grey squirrels - https://www.abdn.ac.uk/news/11655/ I have heard two theories for a possible impact. One, as mentioned in the link, is reds have an inbuilt wariness of pine martens which grey do not, the other is reds being lighter in weigh can get to branches that won't support a pine marten whereas the heavier greys might get caught more easily.

Dave
 
ShropshireLad said:
I also went to Formby last year and didn't see a single Red ..... was told the locals have been asked to stop feeding them but as the reserve has also stopped feeding I don't know what's going to happen.
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I wonder why the authorities seem so anti feeding? Some mad belief that the animals should have no human interaction or in the face of possibly declining numbers just stupidity?
 
woof woof said:
I wonder why the authorities seem so anti feeding? Some mad belief that the animals should have no human interaction or in the face of possibly declining numbers just stupidity?
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Apparently is at the feeders that they are catching the pox from others.
 
ShropshireLad said:
Apparently is at the feeders that they are catching the pox from others.
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Oh dear. Couldn't they or the public leave food scattered about where the squirrels can find it but are less likely to congregate?
 
woof woof said:
Oh dear. Couldn't they or the public leave food scattered about where the squirrels can find it but are less likely to congregate?
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I don't think they can rely on the public to do the right thing unfortunately ... or to feed them the correct balance of food,, but the NT could, it would just take them more time and effort to do so and they are probably feeling the pinch.
 
Reminds how lucky I am here on the Isle of Wight to have Red's as daily visitors in my back garden (which backs onto a small copse). It is truly wonderful to watch them and their young running and jumping through the trees and burying nuts from the bird feeders in our lawn. If we sit quietly and motionless they often approach out of curiosity !
PS We do have feeders and a water bath (which they love) and try to ensure a balanced diet - however - they always go for the monkey nuts out of preference. 10-05-22 Red Squirrel 1 (1 of 1).jpg
 
the black fox said:
Still plenty on Anglesey luckily
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Yep, I saw some in Anglesey at Llyn Parc Mawr in June when I visited. Not had any joy anywhere else on Anglesey though(Dingle etc) I've only just started dabbling in some wildlife photography. I'm definitely not stealthy enough and scare everything off!
 
Sky said:
we really should do more to cull the grey squirrel population before they wipe out the reds.
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This very same thing is being debated on an airgun forum I'm part of , One of the ways was to get land owners to sign up to a register where air gunners and land owners could communicate with the airgunners being vetted beforehand ( Holder of a Shotgun or fire arms license would at least see that they have been vetted by the Police) It was pointed out that the Contraceptive food additive would in no way really be able to cover large areas ( costs !) But may work in areas that the general public have access to Where as the Air gunners would provide this service for free and being national could cover much more ground ! Shooting of Grey Squirrels is already done on shoot land in various ways. I'm a target shooter myself rather than live quarry but something I've noticed out in the sticks where I live ( just over a year now) is the lack of Squirrels in comparison to when I lived in the city !
 
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