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Have you ever seen a red squirrel?

293 replies

Curlewwoohoo · 03/11/2023 17:50

Please tell me where! I've been to the Isle of Wight and looked in all the places I was told about, no luck. Same to a place in Scotland they apparently live in the garden, nowt. Please help me see one!

OP posts:
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garlictwist · 04/11/2023 06:40

Lots in Scotland and also where I live in cumbria.

CormorantStrikesBack · 04/11/2023 06:40

crankit · 03/11/2023 20:24

Ooh we're off to the Lake District soon, any tips where we might spot some ?

I’ve seen them at Buttermere lake and also Dodd woods near derwentwater but I’ve not seen them there more than I’ve seen them.

Whinlatter forest is a good place, they have cameras and feeding points. My brother says he sees them there a lot. There’s also meant to be quite a few in Eskdale.

CirreltheSquirrel · 04/11/2023 06:43

Yes! Formby, aira force, somewhere near alston are the ones I can remember. Plus several in Germany.

Popetthetreehugger · 04/11/2023 06:45

mersea island essex

MaryMcI · 04/11/2023 06:48

Highland Wildlife Park, Aviemore - in the trees at the reindeer bit.

RedRiverShore4 · 04/11/2023 06:52

Yes, the Snaizeholme red squirrel trail in Yorkshire and Brownesea Island.

DresdenDoll · 04/11/2023 07:00

Loads! Formby and the Lake District.

Bbq1 · 04/11/2023 07:02

They live in the woods in Formby, a few minutes drive up the road for me or a 15 min train journey.

TheBirdintheCave · 04/11/2023 07:38

Sapphire387 · 03/11/2023 20:15

Browsea Island and Caldey Island.

The main thing I remember about Caldey island is the horse flies 😂

Igneococcus · 04/11/2023 07:42

Munich Ostfriedhof (Eastern Cemetry) there are a gazillion.

LynetteScavo · 04/11/2023 07:52

Yes, in the Lake District. The squirrel in my garden in the midlands is grey, but clearly has some red in him.

Anselma · 04/11/2023 07:58

Mersea Island near Colchester. Last week I only just managed to avoid running over one in the car. I did an emergency stop and it sat on the kerb and looked at me!

mamaduckbone · 04/11/2023 07:59

I have, also on brownsea island.

TodayInahurry · 04/11/2023 08:11

Jersey, we had loads in our garden when we lived there

Organaforever · 04/11/2023 08:22

nipersvest · 03/11/2023 18:10

Yes, I grew up in Formby. Back in the 70's/80's, there were so many we used to get them coming into people's gardens but the population has dwindled now that even in the pine woods you will only see a few. Sad really, we used to love seeing them run up and down the trees as kids.

Yes it's been a while since I've seen any there. Sadly I notice they have also taken away a lot of the railings on the red squirrel walk that used to keep people on the path. Now you can roam anywhere it's probably sent them into further hiding. But yes I remember being able to feed them when I was a kid.

Rubyupbeat · 04/11/2023 08:26

Several areas in Cumbria, that's over a few years.

ErrolTheDragon · 04/11/2023 08:39

LynetteScavo · 04/11/2023 07:52

Yes, in the Lake District. The squirrel in my garden in the midlands is grey, but clearly has some red in him.

They're different species, they can't interbreed. 'Grey' squirrels can have quite a lot of variation in their colour, including quite reddish browns.

ErrolTheDragon · 04/11/2023 08:44

I've found a link with all sorts of different coloured 'red' and 'grey' squirrels - including multicoloured!

www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/animals/article/squirrel-fur-colour-characteristics

notatthisage · 04/11/2023 08:57

Yes in Baden Wurtenburg in Germany ( might have spelt that last word wrongly!)

SomeCatFromJapan · 04/11/2023 09:00

Has anyone else seen black squirrels?

I've seen them loads in France and Spain. They are greys with a mutation that means they don't grow any white fur.

Reds I've seen around Stirling and Perth shire.

mondaytosunday · 04/11/2023 09:09

I used to live on the IOW and saw them loads of times. But they don't appear on demand!

Abhannmor · 04/11/2023 09:40

Yes , a few years ago in County Kerry. They are very shy and elusive. The only other one I saw was in the 70s !

Zebedee55 · 04/11/2023 09:43

Yes. Years ago, we had a static caravan on an Isle of Wight site at Thorness Bay. There were quite a few of them that I used to feed when we were there.

They are dear little things.🙂

Sartre · 04/11/2023 09:47

Nope and I’m 30 and have travelled all over the UK to plenty of different nature reserves and national parks but never seen one. Sad.