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The Grey Squirrel is a foreign species and was introduced to Great Britain from the USA in the late
nineteenth/early twentieth century.
Grey squirrels are larger and have a more robust build than the native red squirrel.
Common in deciduous and mixed woodland, they are also found in hedgerows, trees, parks and gardens.
They feed on acorns, tree shoots, flowers, nuts, fruits, roots and cereals, plus unfortunately bird seed and fat balls!!
Generally a ground feeder they will also climb frames to get at hanging bird feeders, ours have only been stopped by using tilting baffles on the poles to deter them. The baffles are effective but are well marked with teeth bites and claws where they have tried to cling on.
They are very agile in the trees and can run along slender twigs, leaping from tree to tree, we see them running at high speed along the castellated sections of our wall, their legs going ten to the dozen. The long, muscular hind legs and short front legs help it to leap. The hind feet, longer than the front, are double-jointed to help the squirrel scramble head first up and down the tree trunk. Sharp claws are useful for gripping bark and the tail helps the squirrel to balance. If a squirrel should fall, it can land safely from heights of about 9m (30ft). The grey squirrel can leap more than 15 feet apparently.
They have good eyesight and often sit upright on a vantage point to look around them, generally checking to see if i am watching before trying to climb up one of our bird feeding frames!!
Their tails are used as a signalling device; twitching their tails if they are uneasy or suspicious.
They mark their regular routes with urine and glandular secretions.
Grey squirrels are larger and have a more robust build than the native red squirrel.
Common in deciduous and mixed woodland, they are also found in hedgerows, trees, parks and gardens.
They feed on acorns, tree shoots, flowers, nuts, fruits, roots and cereals, plus unfortunately bird seed and fat balls!!
Generally a ground feeder they will also climb frames to get at hanging bird feeders, ours have only been stopped by using tilting baffles on the poles to deter them. The baffles are effective but are well marked with teeth bites and claws where they have tried to cling on.
They are very agile in the trees and can run along slender twigs, leaping from tree to tree, we see them running at high speed along the castellated sections of our wall, their legs going ten to the dozen. The long, muscular hind legs and short front legs help it to leap. The hind feet, longer than the front, are double-jointed to help the squirrel scramble head first up and down the tree trunk. Sharp claws are useful for gripping bark and the tail helps the squirrel to balance. If a squirrel should fall, it can land safely from heights of about 9m (30ft). The grey squirrel can leap more than 15 feet apparently.
They have good eyesight and often sit upright on a vantage point to look around them, generally checking to see if i am watching before trying to climb up one of our bird feeding frames!!
Their tails are used as a signalling device; twitching their tails if they are uneasy or suspicious.
They mark their regular routes with urine and glandular secretions.
Squirrels both native and foreign
Our native squirrel, the red squirrel has a population of
approximately 24,000 in England of which 80 per cent are in
Northumberland (65% in the Kielder Forest), 16 per cent in
Cumbria, 3 per cent in West Merseyside and other small pockets
in Durham, North Yorkshire and Brownsea Island near Poole in
Dorset.
An excellent website for more information on the red squirrel and how to help is www.saveoursquirrels.org
An excellent website for more information on the red squirrel and how to help is www.saveoursquirrels.org
Our local grey squirrels
pictured on the page
can often be seen on
the ground mixing with
ground feeding birds as
they all forage for food,
generally spillage from
a hanging bird feeder.
They are amusing to
watch especially when
the poles are very wet
or icy as they manage
to get part way up and
then slide down again
unable to grip.
They are so far foxed completely by the ground feeder cage, they climb over it, try to lift it, wander round looking for a weakness but so far so good.
A small victory for the human species!
They are so far foxed completely by the ground feeder cage, they climb over it, try to lift it, wander round looking for a weakness but so far so good.
A small victory for the human species!
With kind permission of www.philstarkeyphotography.co.uk/