Red Squirrel

whyulittle

Which part of the county have you seen them thyme?

thyme

I am between Mullingar and Athlone, out in the wilds.

Dusty87

Guys the red squirrel seems to be making a comeback in loais/offaly, the thing they're trying to figure out now is why. Id report them sightings if you havn done so

holmesy

Found this website the other day, you might submit any sightings of Red and Grey Squirrels to them.

http://www.woodlandmammals.com/

thyme

I reported the sightings back in 07 and a wildlife officer was to come out to see, but I am still waiting.Back in 07 the local paper ran an article about the findings of the report done by (COFORD) and I emailed the reporter and told him the red squuirrel has been around here since 05, he said he would a follow up and he did, and what I told him he put it in the article, but still nothing.
This one was taken on the 04/01/11 about 6mtrs from front door.

Ditch

Darlughda wrote: »

I had my eyes peeled and only grey ones could I see!

Do ye really talk like that ~ or did ye just make that up to 'excite' me? :cool:

Ditch

recedite wrote: »

When the martens will recolonise the east is the big question.

Well; Here in Co. Leitrim they're like Wildebeest (Acceptable plural, " Wildebai ". Bet ye never Gnu that! ) on the Serengeti. We get herds of them wandering around the place.

Think I'm joking, don't ye? Listen; I'm a Pest Controller. I came here and took one look at the land. Thought, " Christ! It must be heaving with mink! All these wet ditches, streams and loughs. I'll sort them out! "

After my umpteenth Pine Marten, in a situation where only a self respecting mink should be found? I've pretty much given up trying to catch a mink. Spending all my time letting pineys out of my traps.

Now, I only bring the cages out when someone says they have something 'pouncing' in their roof space. I survey. State that I've found sign of what I suspect could be mink.

Then, 'Oh Surprise! A Pine Marten!'. Which I then take away and release on 'safe' land. Yes; I Know that's illegal.

But, the person in Dublin who sat at his desk and drafted that law, decades ago, was never faced with a 12 bore owning cottage dweller just itching to drown what ever it is that the expert's just brought out of his roof.

If I phoned the Forestry every time I caught a piney? They'd put my number on 'Ignore'! :rolleyes:

So; Yeah. They're doing fantasticly well. Spreading like a plague. If they haven't reached ye yet? Just be patient. They're coming

BargainHunter

Ditch wrote: »

So; Yeah. They're doing fantasticly well. Spreading like a plague. If they haven't reached ye yet? Just be patient. They're coming

Thats good to hear. Im in Kildare and have never seen a pine marten. Im thinking of doing a camping trip to the west this summer, in the hope of seeing and videoing a pine marten. Do you know anywhere that would be suitable?

Ditch

BH; Bear just that little bit north west and I can tell ye they are thriving.

Leitrim, we're tripping over them. Roscommon? I have a contact there who was shovelling them up, a year or two ago. Probably since been buried alive in them.

Truth is; If ye wanted to video one? I could catch one for ye. No problemmo. Only, that makes me a law breaker. Because some perfectly well meaning desk jockey in Dub' made them sacrosanct back in the day. Now? Fact is they've took off like fire in a petrol tank.

Want to see film of them? YouTube's full of it. I have film myself on there.

Want to film one yeself? Fine. Summer's the best time. Find yeself a piney's cross over point. Where they pop out of one hedge / ditch, cross some open ground ~ like a little used track, preferably. Set up camp there.

They go about their business in broad daylight. Birds will tell ye when they're coming.

If ye know sh!t about 'tracking' sh!t? Dead easy: Piney leaves a track just like a mink ~ in the mud of a ditch. But, when he comes out and passes into the opposite side? High!

He leaves an arch through the grass there that's distinctively Piney. Ye know badger. Ye know hare. Well, this is not quite either. This is Pine Marten. Not as wide as badger. Higher than hare.

Ever passing through Co. Leitrim? Let me know ye coming. I'm Not to every bodies tastes. Most people aren't to mine. I prefer my Dogs and my Dogs can't abide most people too.

But, I can put ye onto pineys

BargainHunter

Thanks Ditch.

Im interested in videoing pine marten in the wild, not in captivity. I'll have a look for the signs you mention. I'll probably have to build a hide, and put out some bait. Ive heard they love peanut butter.

Ditch

BargainHunter wrote: »

I've heard they love peanut butter.

And Strawberry Jam Sandwiches? I've read that too. No idea.

Had one of them drop down out of the roof of my cow shed, the other week. Just sniffing around for a place to live. One of those things. Not an issue.

Had it been a feral cat or. god forbid, a gray squirrel? I'd have gone ballistic!

Dusty87

Ditch, why is it illegal to release a pine martin on safe land? Relocating it or what? Are they only allowed be released at the place of capture?

Half-cocked

Dusty87 wrote: »

Ditch, why is it illegal to release a pine martin on safe land? Relocating it or what? Are they only allowed be released at the place of capture?

Illegal to catch and transport wild animals without a permit from NPWS. Permits are only usually issued for projects such as the relocation of red squirrels to the West.

(I'd imagine hare coursers have a license to catch and transport hares?)

Ditch

Dusty; As Half Cocked said. Only, in the real world .....

I get called out ~ in my professional capacity ~ because someone's being driven mad by something in their roof space. I catch it and remove it. Job done.

What are the options? Refuse to set my trap? Call the office bod? They say it's protected and not to be interfered with. Home owner says, " Oh. Fine. OK. Goodbye." And starts asking their neighbours about a shot gun.

See where I'm coming from? I'm meeting these people. I'm seeing the state they're in, because of this thing in their roof space. If I won't sort it? They'll look elsewhere. But, they'll well get rid of it. I can assure ye.

So, forgive me my sins but; I catch it and take it away. I then show it to as many people as I can, especially children, and give them a little pep talk about these beautiful and harmless creatures.

Hearts and minds, see. Red tape and bureaucracy can't do that.

Then I let them watch as I open the trap and off it goes.

Dusty87

Ditch, i wasn being smart just genuinely curious. I knew of the law half-cocked posted just thought maybe in your line of work you would have had permission to release a protected species. Thats a bit of an ass in fairness. Agree wit your post above anyway.

steddyeddy

Rainbowsend wrote: »

I would love to see a Red Squirrel, have never seen one except in pictures and tv.........any ideas on where to look, I live the Wicklow area but dont mind travelling.

I saw two in avoca previously, near ballymoneen. why not look there?

bobbytwo

ditch, thats amazing about the pine marten! my uncle from sligo caught one in a mink trap about thirty years ago and as he was a wildlife lover he contacted the wildlife trust or whoever it was and they all came to see it and there was great excitement that the pine marten was in the North west! It has certainly taken a strong footing and its great to hear they are thriving!

On the red squirrel note, I am in Cork and see them regular. no greys here!:)

Blue850

I have nothing but admiration for the resilience of this lad, since I took this photo and posted it last year, the farmer who owned the wood behind the fence cleared it with 2 diggers resulting in 4 terrified little reds taking up residence in our garden. I got the lads in the diggers to leave some trees standing behind my fence and got my neighbour to agree to leave them up.

They squrrels then moved into a pile of the felled trees while still coming to our feeders until the the trees were burnt:eek:, now they've moved a further field away, luckily owned by my mother and with lots of hazel trees which will never be cleared:D. They didn't come near the garden for months but one of them is back, it has to cover 100 metres of open field to get to our fence but it appears between 8 and 10 every morning despite a cloooose encounter with the neighbours cat!!
We've taken it for granted but we are so lucky to have it so close to the house. Photo taken in Craughwell, Co Galway

Ditch

Blue; That is just such a head wreckingly disgusting situation! :mad:

So, what; Ye had red's living in some trees behind ye. Yeah? Land owner wants the cash crop / land. Squirrels, known to be there get screwed.

Now they're holding out on another patch of land ~ ye mothers. Where they're safe. But, they're having to run the gauntlet, every day, to reach ye feeders ~ because there's obviously just not enough food for them on ye mothers patch.

And that damn cat Will get them. And the government body with 'responsibility' will intone that, yes; Sciurus vulgaris has edged yet another inch towards total extinction on this island. Jesus wept :rolleyes:

Listen; How about ye try to sort out some supplementary feeding station, for them, on ye mum's side? Save them running that gauntlet.

Where have they go to go, from the other sides of ye mum's ground? Is there anywhere else they can expand to, where they may be safe, if not Protected?

Why did the farmer clear the ground between ye mum's and yours? Fact that he ~appears to have ~ allowed some trees to stay, for the squirrels, shows he's not a complete " **** ".

Might it not be possible, if need be, to discuss with him the idea of arranging a single line / 'corridor' of small trees (Silver Birch, maybe? I'm no expert!) across his land. Tractor passing spot along the way. So's to allow the remaining pocket of squirrels to move from their harbourage, on ye mum's land, to your feeders?

How about call the " NPWS " ? Report back with what They suggest?

mecksimay

There is a PhD student studying reintroduction of red squirrels to two sites in the West of Ireland based in NUIG (see: http://www.nuigalway.ie/zoology/lawton/mammalecology.html) Perhaps if you contact Mammal Ecology Unit in NUIG, they may be able to offer some advice.

Blue850

Ditch wrote: »

Blue; That is just such a head wreckingly disgusting situation! :mad:

So, what; Ye had red's living in some trees behind ye. Yeah? Land owner wants the cash crop / land. Squirrels, known to be there get screwed.

Now they're holding out on another patch of land ~ ye mothers. Where they're safe. But, they're having to run the gauntlet, every day, to reach ye feeders ~ because there's obviously just not enough food for them on ye mothers patch.

And that damn cat Will get them. And the government body with 'responsibility' will intone that, yes; Sciurus vulgaris has edged yet another inch towards total extinction on this island. Jesus wept :rolleyes:

Listen; How about ye try to sort out some supplementary feeding station, for them, on ye mum's side? Save them running that gauntlet.

Where have they go to go, from the other sides of ye mum's ground? Is there anywhere else they can expand to, where they may be safe, if not Protected?

Why did the farmer clear the ground between ye mum's and yours? Fact that he ~appears to have ~ allowed some trees to stay, for the squirrels, shows he's not a complete " **** ".

Might it not be possible, if need be, to discuss with him the idea of arranging a single line / 'corridor' of small trees (Silver Birch, maybe? I'm no expert!) across his land. Tractor passing spot along the way. So's to allow the remaining pocket of squirrels to move from their harbourage, on ye mum's land, to your feeders?

How about call the " NPWS " ? Report back with what They suggest?

Right, let me fill you in on a few facts,

The farmer in question who is entitled to do what he pleaes with his property wasn't aware of the presence of reds on his land as he hadn't used it 8 years and he has left a tree line along the boundary wall which the red uses, in fact we've never seen it approach our fence from the field , just leaving.

My mother's land extends to over 40 acres of which I'd say a third is wooded, more of it resembles the Burren with limestone rocks over the ground, an attempt was made over 40 years ago to reclaim some of it but nature has taken it back. Its was used occasionally for cattle to graze but is probably too overgrown for that now, Shooting and foxhunting are not allowed on it.It has no road frontage, we're not from an agri background so it won't be cleared, and it won't be sold. As well has the reds, we've seen foxes, hedgehogs, rabbit and pheasant on it, not that we walk on it that much so it really is an undisturbed little haven for wildlife

We didn't see the squirrels during the hard frost over the winter so they were getting food somewhere. Other neighbours in the area have seen reds at their feeders too.

Oh and the cat won't get it... unless they really do have 9 lives, cos its first one was squashed by a car:cool:

recedite

Blue850 wrote: »

land extends to over 40 acres of which I'd say a third is wooded, more of it resembles the Burren with limestone rocks over the ground, an attempt was made over 40 years ago to reclaim some of it but nature has taken it back. Its was used occasionally for cattle to graze but is probably too overgrown for that now, Shooting and foxhunting are not allowed on it

Well done; places like this are very valuable to wildlife, more so than many of the so called National Park areas.
BTW letting a few ponies or cattle in from midsummer through the winter can be beneficial to the ecosystem, they have discovered this in the Burren and the New Forest in UK. Keeps the brambles down and allows wildflowers etc. to thrive.

Ditch

recedite wrote: »

BTW letting a few ponies or cattle in from midsummer through the winter can be beneficial to the ecosystem, they have discovered this in the Burren and the New Forest in UK. Keeps the brambles down and allows wildflowers etc. to thrive.

Absolutely! I've personally seen places that were simply classed as " Scrub " completely transformed this way, in next to no time. After decades of decay


And Blue; Sorry, mate. Ye appear to have rather misread the 'tone' of my initial response there. I'm not blaming anyone. I was just saying what a tragedy it seems that one more nail has been ~ however inadvertently ~ hammered into the nail of the Irish Red's coffin.

I'm asking if Nothing can now be Done to help this, one more, (Seemingly) isolated pocket.

Anyway, I was in town today. I'm ahead of myself on pints per hour consumption I don't like to even try to 'discuss' a matter when I've had a few.

Just don't want to imagine that scene from " Das Boot " kicking off though

artieanna

Ye might be interested in this article....

http://mayotoday.ie/index.php/browse-mayo-news-by-category/going-green/item/2283-ballinas-belleek-wood-is-saving-irish-red-squirrel-from-extinction.html

muckish

I've always heard anecdotily that there are no squirrels in Co.Donegal, that the Foyle/Finn rivers was traditionally a barrier for them to pass over from the woods of Derry etc. I know there have been sightings in the County but does anyone know where? I would love to try and photograph them. Does anyone have any ideas of the numbers in the County? Are they reds or greys etc?

BargainHunter

Saw a red squirrel today in wicklow. He appeared to be feeding on the buds of a larch tree. Obviously hazelnuts are not the only things they eat.

damoth

artieanna wrote: »

Ye might be interested in this article....

http://mayotoday.ie/index.php/browse-mayo-news-by-category/going-green/item/2283-ballinas-belleek-wood-is-saving-irish-red-squirrel-from-extinction.html

I've often seen red squirrels in Portumna Forest Park. The article linked above even mentions that some were taken from there to help populate a site in Connemara.

Roen

Saw one on the way to the Comeraghs two weeks ago, my second sighting in about 6 years in that area.

BargainHunter

Roen wrote: »

Saw one on the way to the Comeraghs two weeks ago, my second sighting in about 6 years in that area.

Whereabouts in the Comeraghs did you see the red?

I saw what looked like a red in Kilclooney Wood on the way up to Coum Siongaun. I was very surprised as its nearly all sitka spruce there.

Roen

BargainHunter wrote: »

Whereabouts in the Comeraghs did you see the red?

I saw what looked like a red in Kilclooney Wood on the way up to Coum Siongaun. I was very surprised as its nearly all sitka spruce there.

Right at the shop at Mahon Bridge, came over one of the walls near the woods there and out on to the road before popping back in when I came along. It was on the main road side, not the forest side.
First time I saw one was near the Maumaur (sp) Road.

Mothman

Saw 2 Red Squirrels today a short distance NE of the entrance to Powerscourt Waterfall. Were near base of a tree right beside the road. They climbed up the tree and were extremely agile taking long jumps between branches to get to other trees

wildwolf1

I have seen a pine marten near Ashford, last autumn, but none since.

i too am worried about the red squirrels in Roundwood area: i used to see them regularly, but not so many in the past year. Vartry Reservoir is usually a good spot to see them, also over the filter bed side of the reservoir.

cuddlycavies

Wicklow is still generalyy a good place to see them. Near Lough Dan , Lough Tay, Enniskerry, Glendalough. Still plenty about. They're even still in bray. Still haven't seen a Pine Marten.

H123

Saw a pair of these this time for first time ever in Kilmashogue wood (~back of Stackstown golf course). They ran up a big pine tree as my dog disturbed them. Then one came out on a branch half way up and just sat in the sun and watched me watching him! I tried taking a photo with my phone but was too far away really. When I find the leads for it I'll try loading it up and see if I can enhance it enough. But really can not believe the squirrel was so calm. Nice to see they may be making a bit of a comeback. This pathway is part of the wicklow way and you always meet people and horses on it so they are not put off by activity.

Calochortus

I sometimes come across red squirrels in the woodlands around the Comeragh Mts in Co. Waterford. However, it is very difficult to see red squirrels, even though they may well be present. It is worth checking for signs of squirrels in woodlands such as stripped pine cones. You might come across a little pile of these on a tree stump or under a tree.



If there are hazel nuts in the area, you can also see if a squirrel has eaten them as they will be completely split.



These can then be differentiated from a hazel nut that a mouse has eaten as these will have a circular hole.


Also worth keeping an eye out for a drey. You can tell the difference between a squirrel drey and birds nest by the position of where the squirrel makes it's drey. They usually build close to the tree trunk.

Happy squirrling!

Rinker

wildwolf1 wrote: »

I have seen a pine marten near Ashford, last autumn, but none since.

i too am worried about the red squirrels in Roundwood area: i used to see them regularly, but not so many in the past year. Vartry Reservoir is usually a good spot to see them, also over the filter bed side of the reservoir.

Spotted a red squirrel near the entrance to the reservoir on the Roundwood Kilmac Road this morning at 8am. I've seen them in other spots around the reservoir before but never in that area.

wildwolf1

Oh that's good - nice to know they are still around - although I still haven't see one in ages!

Mothman

Squirrel Pox in Northern Ireland

A second outbreak of a fatal red squirrel disease has been confirmed in Glenarm Forest in County Antrim.
It follows an outbreak of squirrel pox in County Down three months ago.
The disease is carried by the non-native grey squirrel which is immune to its effects. Infected red squirrels die within 15 days of contracting the virus.

Any confirmed outbreaks in the south?

Birdnuts

Mothman wrote: »

Squirrel Pox in Northern Ireland



Any confirmed outbreaks in the south?

Thats is indeed worrying:( - lets hope the isolated populations West of the Shannon stay disease free!!

thyme

Reds are still here and thriving, last year just seen two, the last two weeks I have seen four ?, and one has half a tail, and may have a problem with one eye, but not sure. It was getting dark and raining when I spotted it. But I found there home so will keep watch when I can.

This one was more friendly.

ppink

I was looking at this thread thinking to myself that i would probably never see a red squirrel in the wild...but I was wrong:D:D
one ran out in front of my jeep yesterday and i got such a fright, lucky i did not run him over:eek:.
Now the challenge will be to see him again. Any tips for that? I must read up on them a bit.

Kess73

I think I have mentioned it already in this thread, but anyone in the Limerick/Clare/North Kerry etc area that wants to see red squirrels on a regular basis should go to the little nature park/walk just outside of Foynes in county Limerick.

It is just outside Foynes port on the right hand side as you leave Foynes and head towards Loughill/Glin/Tarbert on the N69.


It is a lovely little walk/park that has an amazing amount of wildlife in it for such a small site, and it has some great views across the Shannon estuary. Defo a good spot for anyone who wants to bring a camera. Plus it gets a lot of walkers/twitchers/shutterbugs passing through it so it is a safe area.

cscook

How lovely to see those photos. I remember when there were more reds than greys in the Botanic Gardens, sigh...We were so happy to see several red squirrels around one of the camp sites we stayed in in France last month - a real treat.

magicbastarder

views expressed in this article are not necessarily the views of the poster:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/24/grey-squirrels-red-killing-conservation

Birdnuts

magicbastarder wrote: »

views expressed in this article are not necessarily the views of the poster:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/24/grey-squirrels-red-killing-conservation

Not a very well researched article:rolleyes: - grey squirrels are an agressive non-native species that have pushed back native Reds where ever they have come in contact. It is no accident that Reds are making a recovery where ever Grey's have been culled or pushed back by the return of native predators like Pine Martins and various raptors. Another point is that poisoning of squirrels is illegal in the UK and in this country, so culling campaigns are typically done by trapping and air-rifles.

recedite

Another Guardian article here
suggesting that immunity to a virus might allow reds to live alongside greys. Most probably the reds would be more successful in coniferous forests and pine marten areas, and the greys would stick to parks, gardens and broadleaf forest areas. IMO human society will eventually accept this as the new reality.
BTW I don't see any great push to wipe out all the "non native" trees such as spruce, fir, and beech that the squirrels are living in.

Birdnuts

recedite wrote: »

Another Guardian article here
suggesting that immunity to a virus might allow reds to live alongside greys. Most probably the reds would be more successful in coniferous forests and pine marten areas, and the greys would stick to parks, gardens and broadleaf forest areas. IMO human society will eventually accept this as the new reality.
BTW I don't see any great push to wipe out all the "non native" trees such as spruce, fir, and beech that the squirrels are living in.

I think its a case of rating and tackling non-native species based on their impacts on native ecosytems. Thats why the likes of Rhododeron and mink eradication should be given highest priority.

Mickeroo

Are red squirrels living in the coniferous forests though? Is anything? They're more or less ecological deserts, the trees are too close together for anything else to thrive in there.

Birdnuts

Mickeroo wrote: »

Are red squirrels living in the coniferous forests though? Is anything? They're more or less ecological deserts, the trees are too close together for anything else to thrive in there.

It depends how closed the canopy is. Open woods of pine and spruce can support a number of species like squirrels and certain birds which would be the case on a larger scale in there native lands. However the industrial massed ranks of commercial sitka spruce plantation are more or less biodiversity deserts:(

recedite

Mickeroo wrote: »

the trees are too close together for anything else to thrive in there.

the young trees are, but mature conifer is more open; reds eat the cones. Our native conifer is Scots Pine, probably red's most natural habitat.