natureoncam squirrels

The Grey Squirrel is a foreign species and was introduced to Great Britain from the USA in the late
nineteenth/early twentieth century.
Their success has been to the detriment of our native red squirrels, now only found in Scotland and parts of
Cumbria.
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.
Our local squirrels 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.