red-grey squirrel?

Definitely a grey the red squirrels have cute tufty ears and are much redder the greys do have lots of variations in their colours and have been seen with black and whitish coats also. Love them, lots in our wood but only seen red squirrels in Scotland they like pine forests and eat fir cones whereas the greys will eat nuts and bird eggs hence why they are considered to be pests in some areas. Lovely picture we'll done on getting such a good shot.

Ps Fran red squirrels can be found in other areas besides Scotland but are supposed to be dwindling in numbers because of the grey squirrels and lack of pine forests and deforestation. Was hoping to see a red one while we were in Ireland and Wales but was unlucky.

We have Grey Squirrels where we live, and they have hints of red.

The number of Squirrels round here, have diminished as they years have gone by.

When I move din 16 years ago, we had load, but numbers have fallen over the years.

I think we now only have 3 now.

Thanks Olive. I thought of the red's tufty ears after I posted the pics, and went back to check these - definitely non-tufy. I'm about 200 miles from the last sqluirrels i saw, so I suppose there'd be lots of local variations.

Would love to see reds (other than in pics and vids!); there's a Nature Reserve along the brook at the back of the bungalows, and an office in town, so I want to drop in and find out what's local that I mgiht be able to spot - espeically birds, what calls belong to which species!

Thanks Alex. I've only ever seen one here, or one at a time, there used to be up to half a dozen at a time in the old place - but there was a green in the middle of a long square of housing - they had gardens all round, so it's no wonder that they got so invasive.

Here there's open ground on the other side of the belt ot greenery at the bottom of our gardnens, then a brook, then more trees and bushes the other side. They've got plenty of range so don't need to invade so much. And so long as they're polite and don't wreck the feeders for others, they're welcome - or at least put up with!!

Well done Fran, they are smashing pics, we don't get them here anymore so I now lose less bulbs, mind you it took me years to realise that it was a squirrel that was doing the stealing, I like to see them as I think they are very comical especially when working out how to raid the bird feeders.......

I've spend many happy times watching the antics of the grey squirrels around here. They can be a nuisance but I have never found them a problem - I just put twice as much feed out when they are around!

thanks LIncs. I suspected squirrels at once in my old place, because they were in my garden more than I was! I'm keeping an eye on the beds, but maybe the squirrels are better behaved up here, or putting them in the ground rather than pots makes a difference.

Mind you, there was those bulbs I lifted which "something" re-lifted, which is why I had to cage them. they seem to be ok so far.

I think squirrels mainly get away with it by being cheeky, perky and generally "cute".

I don't mind putting food out for them, Gee, so long as they don't wreck the feeders or monopolise them to prevent others from using it. But as I've said, maybe the squirrels up here have more manners than cockney ones!

The original pics were much bigger, I cropped them to get these close-ups. glad i was able to, ie that they weren't blurred!

A juvenile grey by the looks of it Fran. If it was a red you could be in the local paper bigtime. I don't like it when they chomp the plastic bird feeders. QD/Wilkinsons do reasonable metal ones. So I got one of those too and put it nearest the hawthorn tree trunk.

the feeder in the first pic was sold as "squirrel-proof", but I have pics from the old place of a sqirrel getting entirely einside it and making itself comfortable.

nothing's had a go at the seed feeders, at least there's no signs of damage, so it's just hte nuts they're after. if they continue to be polite and leave some for others, I'll accept that.

I have seen some feeders online said to be "squirrel proof" but once bitten ... There's a Wilkinson's in town, I spotted it on one of my walks, but didn't go in as i wanted to walk a lot more that day and didn't want to do it loaded down with bags! but i should be able to find it again

lol maybe it's young enough to have remembered its manners! I did check the ears, surely tufting would come through even a bit on a mixed breed? but greys are replacing reds, not intermingling