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Produce => Wildlife forum => Topic started by: Rallychef on January 12, 2012, 18:04:10

Title: Red Squirrels
Post by: Rallychef on January 12, 2012, 18:04:10: Hi from a newbie,

Where we live (Greystoke, Cumbria) we are lucky enough still to have Red Squirrels, we have a couple of feeding stations in a large cherry tree at the bottom of the garden. It doesn’t matter how many times you see them you cannot help stop what you are doing to watch them.
We probably have about a dozen regular visitors passing through over the course of a week.

(http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj74/Rallychef/Red%20Squirrels%20in%20Greystoke/DSCF0003.jpg)

(http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj74/Rallychef/Red%20Squirrels%20in%20Greystoke/cropsqu.jpg)

(http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj74/Rallychef/Red%20Squirrels%20in%20Greystoke/IMG_0874.jpg)

(http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj74/Rallychef/Red%20Squirrels%20in%20Greystoke/DSCF0021.jpg)

Hope you enjoy the pics
Regards Ian D
Title: Re: Red Squirrels
Post by: cornykev on January 12, 2012, 18:29:09: Only greys around here, although i have noticed over the years that they are getting more tinges of red in their tails. ??? :D
Title: Re: Red Squirrels
Post by: THE DOG on January 12, 2012, 18:48:46: Well i certainly enjoyed the pics, unforunatly we only have the d**n greys here also (still plenty of free lurcher food :-X).

Thanks for the share ATB D
Title: Re: Red Squirrels
Post by: Jayb on January 13, 2012, 08:07:35: Beautiful pictures, lovely to hear you have so many as regular visitors :)
Title: Re: Red Squirrels
Post by: OllieC on January 13, 2012, 08:18:13: Lovely pics!
Title: Re: Red Squirrels
Post by: pumkinlover on January 13, 2012, 08:30:49: Fantastic photo's, lovely :)
Title: Re: Red Squirrels
Post by: shirlton on January 13, 2012, 08:49:47: Thanks for sharing the lovely pics with us.We have grey ones in the garden that come everyday for their share of the bird food. We also have them at the allotment.The only time I got cross with them was when they ate my uncovered sweetcorn. Don't grow it now so they are not a problem.
Title: Re: Red Squirrels
Post by: Duke Ellington on January 13, 2012, 10:25:32: When I spent some time with my cousin in Toronto I noticed that her garden squirrels were black. Are there black squirrels in the uk?

Duke
Title: Re: Red Squirrels
Post by: Rallychef on January 13, 2012, 10:36:58: thanks for all the replies folks, glad you enjoyed the pics.

shirlton....our allotment is the other side of the village, well away From the woods, so the squirrels are not a problem. However the little beggars do dig up some bulbs in the house garden. The last lot of Daffs we planted, we soaked in cheap tonic water for about 30 mins (apparently they do not like the quinine), then grated some soap on top. Seems to have worked, didn't find any dug up and they are all starting to come through.

Duke....I think the some southern parts of England have the black squirrels, a programme on TV last week was showing them, a genetic variation on the greys I think (but don't quote me on that0

regards Ian D
Title: Re: Red Squirrels
Post by: Kea on January 13, 2012, 10:58:44: Yes we have black squirrels here in St Ives, Cambridgeshire.....just a variant of the grey. When on holiday in Cumbria we have a special spot where we go to photograph, film and watch the Red Squirrels. In my personal opinion everything should be done to get rid of the greys (and blacks).
Title: Re: Red Squirrels
Post by: SamLouise on January 13, 2012, 20:33:09: Love pics, enjoyed those :) Thanks for sharing. I've only ever seen a red squirrel once - when I was holidaying on the Isle of Wight!
Title: Re: Red Squirrels
Post by: theothermarg on January 15, 2012, 10:52:05: yes lovely pics. I'v visited Brownsea Island and the Isle of Wight and missed seeing one although many of the others on the trips did.
marg
Title: Re: Red Squirrels
Post by: antipodes on January 26, 2012, 10:00:32: We only seem to have red squirrels here - I often see them around our way, there is one cheeky one that runs from the park next door under our hedges, scavenging, mostly for the bread that is thrown out of windows for the birds!! He's beautiful and ever so fast. We don't have them in Australia and I love to see them with their fluffy tails.
Title: Re: Red Squirrels
Post by: star on January 28, 2012, 13:31:52: You're very lucky Rallychef to have the fabulous reds as garden visitors, I have only seen them when I was in Germany. That was a real treat, their favourite tree was very close to the house. So we got a great close up view as they clambered along the branches!

Thanks for posting your great pics ;D
Title: Re: Red Squirrels
Post by: non-stick on February 12, 2012, 21:26:36: Quote from: star on January 28, 2012, 13:31:52
You're very lucky Rallychef to have the fabulous reds as garden visitors, I have only seen them when I was in Germany. That was a real treat, their favourite tree was very close to the house. So we got a great close up view as they clambered along the branches!

Thanks for posting your great pics ;D

That's the only place I've seen them in the wild - in the Englischer(sp) Gardens in Munich. Saw a black one first and then the grey. Unlike what others have said the plack looked be similar to the red apart from colour, even had the tufts.

Wish we had the reds here in basingstoke but the only ones I've seen was in the museum when I was growing up in Farnham and that was a hideous Victorian scened of stuffed ones playing cards.