Increased Grey Squirrel Population

Dummy

Has anyone else noticed a massive increase in the grey squirrel population in the Dublin suburbs?

Driving home yesterday evening, I saw three at different locations along my route in South Dublin. We have seen them in our garden a number of times this Summer. But I would see grey squirrels almost on a daily basis now, for the past number of months.

Another visitor to our garden over the past few weeks is a female sparrow hawk. She demolished a pidgeon in our garden about 3 weeks ago.

kildare.17hmr

i was in the zoo on Sunday with the family and counted 8 grays! The park should control their numbers or even better try wipe them out all together!

Drummerboy2

Yes. Seen them lots of times on the northside. They have spread from the Botanic Gardens to all the local housing estates and parks. As a child I remember seeing red squirrels jumping across the tops of trees in the Botanics, alas no more. These grey squirrels are as brazen and can often be seen been handfed by visitors.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

It's that time of year again when the young squirrels have left the nest and are finding their own way in the world. We'll see alot of them for a few weeks and then it should settle down somewhat.

cameramonkey

saw one this morning in Ballinteer on the path. first time I saw one outside a park. Not far from Marley park, maybe he came from there.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

They are very common visitors to Urban gardens - far from confined to parks.

Birdnuts

I too have noticed that many city parks in the capital are over run with them - the problem is so bad that I'm begining to wonder would the introduction of native Pine Martins to somewhere like the Phoenix park be a potential solution since they appear to have curbed their numbers in other parts of the country

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I don't know if the park would have enough of the other things a Pine Marin eats but could be work investigating.

F.R.

For anyone interested the new development plan for the Phoenix Park was launched last Thursday.

http://www.phoenixpark.ie/media/Phoenix%20Park%20Conservation%20Management%20Plan%20Final%208%209%2011.pdf

Page 55 refers to the squirrels, the park have been implementing a control/eradication program but with 1200 to 1500 Grey Squirrels in the park it will not happen overnight.

With regard to the Pine Martin they have been confirmed in Liffey Valley this year so with a bit of luck they will find their way to the Park naturally in the next couple of years.

Dummy

I have never seen the number of squirrels before that I have seen over the past few months. Initially I thought that county councils had some programme in place for the culling of grey squirrels, and this programme had been hit with cut backs.

Does bringing pine martins in, have any negative affects on a local system?

Another thing that I have noticed large populations of, are grey crows. I was down the country for the weekend, and noticed flocks of them. These are particularily nasty birds, who are even more nasty on new-born lambs during lambing season. I have seen them attacking lambs & rabbits in the past.

Unfortunately, these birds are also present in large numbers here in Dublin.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Dummy wrote: »

Does bringing pine martins in, have any negative affects on a local system?

Not as such but you can't just drop Pine Martins into an area because there is currently a population of Gray Squirrels there. Think about habitat and consider that Pine Martins can't live just on Gray Squirrels.

LostCovey

Charlie Sharp Magnesium wrote: »

Not as such but you can't just drop Pine Martins into an area because there is currently a population of Gray Squirrels there. Think about habitat and consider that Pine Martins can't live just on Gray Squirrels.

Pine martin are probably going to be the next urban coloniser.

They will also have a nice menu of alternative protein sources apart from the Greys - takeaway restaurant bins, pet rabbits, backyard hens.

A neighbour of mine has a pine martin that raids his wheely bin (rural area) several nights a week. He just hears the lid closing when its leaving!

LC

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I'm referring to a suggestion that Pine Martins be brought in to solve a pest problem. They will certainly make their own way to an Urban area, if it suits them. Just don't consider dropping any species into an area artificially.:)