Red Squirrel

doctor evil

Guill wrote: »

So if the Pine martin re-establishes himself does that mean the red squirell will too?

Red Squirrels are smaller than the grey squirrel, they are able to climb out to the much smaller branches that the greys and pine martens can't.

The parapox virus (which greys carry) and competition from greys are much more of a threat to the reds.

emmasheehy

bibio wrote: »

I see Red squirels regulary in Coillte woods in the Roundwood, Annamoe and Rathdrum areas. I see them when out deer stalking. Rather worryingly though, I have seen grey encroach further every year. I saw two reds, in the trees just above Vartry house pub in Roundwood last year, and driving past there about two months ago I saw three greys in the same trees, and have since seen a few dead grey on the road in that area.:mad:

Hi there, if you have a few minutes to spare, please fill out this online survey form http://www.woodlandmammals.com/wicklowSurvey.html I'm trying to get as good an idea as possible of the distribution of BOTH squirrel species and pine marten in certain parts of the country in particular, Wicklow being one of them. You don't need to have seen all three, even a grey or red sighting on its own is useful! Every sighting reported really does make a difference so anyone with any info I'd be hugely grateful if you could spare a few minutes to fill in the form, or else email me directly <mod snip> [Mod note Use PM] The distribution survey is part of a wider project that aims to answer the big pine marten/grey squirrel question!

bibio

Will fill out survey now.

liam365

recedite wrote: »

Fill out this survey if you have a few minutes. They are looking for people like you. http://www.woodlandmammals.com/Survey.html

Appreciate what they are trying to do on that site but I reckon they would get a better return on a shorter slimmed down survey.

Half-cocked

I was in the Raven Nature Reserve in Wexford today and saw 5 red squirrels in under 10 minutes! Here's some pics of them - lighting was pretty bad but I think they came out OK.

Rainbowsend

They are just gorgeous, well done

homerhop

300 acres of woodland at the back of my house with a good mixture of trees. I have spent hours upon hours in there and it has been nearly 10 years since I have seen a red in it. Nothing but greys there now.

cuddlycavies

gREAT PHOTOS

thyme

A bit late joining in here , there is two in the woods here where I live, I see one most days it has made i'ts home in a Scots Pine tree right beside the house, it goes to the forest at the back of the house most days to feed and bring back some bedding for i'ts home. I made it a new home but I dont think i'ts tried it out yet. Plenty of food here with the forest at the back and Hazel and Beech at the front. Got some pics on Tuesday but cant get them to load.

H123

Never had seen one of these before and have just spotted one running up a tree in Mackey Estate Kilkee. Running up the tree next to it was a grey one so maybe not destined to thrive for long. It was great to see they still exist though, I though they had all more or less died away apart from a few pockets.

emmasheehy

Hi there, if you have a few mins to fill this in please do! http://www.woodlandmammals.com/Survey.html

thyme

emmasheehy wrote: »

Hi there, if you have a few mins to fill this in please do! http://www.woodlandmammals.com/Survey.html

Is this survey similar to the one that was conducted in 2007 by the National Council for Forest Research and Development, just curious.

who the fug

Mr. Presentable wrote: »

I saw one in The Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin.....

I remember them as a kid in the Botanic Gardens (One of Dublin great Gems), but I though theyl got wiped out

magicbastarder

so did i - i've not seen any in the botanic gardens in the last five years. plenty of greys though; i believe between 40 and 50.

who the fug

magicbastarder wrote: »

so did i - i've not seen any in the botanic gardens in the last five years. plenty of greys though; i believe between 40 and 50.

Am going back about 27 years, but you always found them down the back the bit which boarded on to the farm with the cattle

Great place to study was the Gardens.

Is it still free?

magicbastarder

it is; and they've added a walled vegetable and fruit garden in the last few years too.

pawrick

Last time I saw a Red was back home in Athlone a good few years ago- I was going for a walk by a river and he ran out of some cover along the wall of a bridge going over it. Might still be some in the area as it's mostly been untouched since then.

Lots of Grey in the Botanical Gardens - was there about 4 years ago showing an ex around Dublin and one of them got a bit a bit too close and jumped on to her. Scared the life out of her and we ended up staying in the green house for a bit until it chased someone else. btw we had no food with us and weren't doing anything apart from walking and talking - I'd say he thought we had food.

mecksimay

Glendalough, near the Upper Lake, but early in the morning as they are very shy animals and if there are too many people around there is less of a chance of seeing them.

whyulittle

There is a piece in the local paper today about several sightings of red squirrels in Westmeath, despite them supposedly being extinct in the county.

Same article in sister paper last week.

http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/mullingar/articles/2011/01/26/4002807-red-squirrels-spotted-after-extinction/

I saw a squirrel a few years ago in woods in Portlaoise. Anyone know if there are red/greys or both in that part of the country?

thyme

Thanks for the link whyulittle, yeah I have seen red squirrels here since 2005 (Westmeath), and the report that was published in 2007 said they were extinct in Westmeath, The only squirrel thats disappeared is the gray.

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.