"LIFE'S TOO SHORT TO EAT BAD NUTS"

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Perching here and gathering my thoughts ...

Red squirrel spotting in Merseyside

29 November 2006 ~ 10:52

In the UK, British red squirrels are nowadays very rare, being found mainly in Scotland and a few off-shore islands like Anglesey, Brownsea Island and the Isle of Wight. The squirrels you are most likely to see in your garden or local park are North American grey squirrels. I like greys very much and have often fed them in Kensington Gardens near where I work. However, I had only ever seen red squirrels in a zoo and I had always wanted to see them in the wild.

I had heard from watching TV that there was a colony of red squirrels in Formby near Liverpool, and that these squirrels were friendly enough to allow people to feed them. Because the squirrels are so rare in England, people try to protect them as much as possible. The pine trees are full of cones for them to eat, and indeed it is their preferred food as they cannot digest the acorns greys eat. The supplemental feeding by visitors to the squirrel reserve also helps them to do well.

I travelled up to my mother�s house on Friday night and stayed overnight, and we caught the train early Saturday morning to Liverpool. Once there we caught a connection to Ainsdale, the nearest station to our hotel, aptly named Tree Tops. We caught a cab to the hotel (I think the dispatcher at the cab company must have thought it was a joke when he heard that a Squirrel wanted a ride to �Tree Tops!�), checked in and dropped off our bags, freshened up and then booked another cab to the nature reserve.

Fairdale is the nearest rail stop to the reserve. There is a pay car park and toilets at the beginning of the clearly marked trail that takes you round the main red squirrel walk, and then you can carry on over some sand dunes to the beach. Despite a weather forecast of torrential rain and gale force winds the day was pleasant and sunny and as soon as we headed down the trail we saw two red squirrels.

I had brought some pecans and my mum had brought monkey nuts (peanuts in their shells) and I threw a pecan towards the first squirrel. He took it, ran off with it and buried it, then came back for more. However, I found that some of the reds didn�t like pecans (maybe they had just never tasted them before) but they would take the peanuts.

The squirrels would not take nuts from your hand, and they were quite shy compared to the greys I know. They would run a little distance away and eat the nut with their back to you, if they did eat it at all (most they buried). So it was difficult to get photographs, and they are also incredibly quick.

Most of the squirrels were a gorgeous russet colour but some had a lot of black in their coat. Both types were very pretty with their winter ear tufts. We saw some squirrels playing chase around a tree trunk and leaping from tree to tree in a way I have never seen greys do (although from watching TV I know that greys also do this).

We circled around and then walked down to the beach. There were plenty of dog walkers around but dogs must be on their lead in the squirrel walk area. The squirrels seem wary of the dogs but not terrified. After all they must be used to them.

Red squirrels are more petite than greys, less stocky and with a white belly. But aside from the winter ear tufts, they are pretty similar to grey squirrels. Their numbers were declining even before grey squirrels were introduced into the country at the beginning of the 20th century, mainly due to lack of coniferous forest for suitable habitat.

I really hope these red squirrels survive and thrive in Formby. One recent red squirrel death in the area from the parapox virus is quite worrying, but hopefully it won�t spread to the Formby Squirrel Reserve and these beautiful animals will remain to be enjoyed by future generations. We certainly enjoyed our visit with them. In fact I plan to go back next June with my husband when the hotel�s swimming pool will be open. I know he will love a red squirrel encounter.

On Saturday night we had dinner at the hotel, then on Sunday we travelled back into Liverpool, where we dropped our bags off at left luggage. Then we walked around the city, did some shopping and went to visit the catholic cathedral. We ate at the cathedral coffee shop, then it was time to head back to the train station for the journey home.
All in all it was a tiring but productive weekend.


Stored nuts | Future acorns


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