squirrel control

[Walker570]

Yes, it's slowly slowly catchy squirrel at the moment. I am sure that once I have proved I am reliable and safe then I can put another one or two flip tops up around the course because there are blocks of trees and scrub where I could happily sit all day and nobody would know I was there.   This the joy of shooting them on a feeder because it can be designed with a back plate to stop any stray pellets although I try to always have either that tree or one nearby as a back stop.

[Sciurus]

Nev, seven down on first day with new gun is great.

My morning was somewhat less successful:-

7am received a text from reliable householder, ‘grey in trap’, went out- false alarm, trap must has been set off by a very heavy mouse.

Went to top up a large feeder- completely empty! And I only had enough feed to half fill it- will have to go back and fill it.

Got home for a coffee and was met by another cheeky grey pinching my neighbours hazelnuts! The tree was bouncing. (Unfortunately I can’t upload the video)

I darent shoot it, there is a no backstop except a large hotel 100m away and my neighbour isn’t too keen so I can only put a trap out and hope!

 

[old man]

5 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Well I arrived well early this morning at the golf club and drove carefully down the 18th trying not to knock any trees over or into a bunker ...it was 5am and still pretty dark.  Eventually found where I needed to be and went to check the flip top and found it almost empty but a lot of feed on the deck as it had been knocked forwards allowing feed to pour out. My fault I had not fixed it firmly enough.  Anyway went back and found where I had decided to set up , put out my seat and the tripod, set the rifle and settled down to wait.  At 6.15 the first one appeared around the base of the tree then decided to feed on that on the ground.   The pellet found it's mark and it bounced off into the nettles.  I could see branches bouncing about as more started to approach. Then one must have come down the silver birch right above me and started complaining loudly, however another came down onto the flip top and suffered the fate of the previous one.  The noise above me ceased.  At 07.15 I packed up as I needed to re fix the flip top and fill it back up.   I had seven down in the hour but I am sure there will be more.   I am restricted here to about an hour or hour and half at a time due to golfers and local residents taking early morning strolls.  Still seven each time, once a week will do me fine.  Just a pity the Green Keeper did not contact me back in April and we would not have wasted all that lovely daylight from 03.30 through to 07.30. Nights and mornings are drawing in fast.   A missly wet morning may work as I can sit under an umbrella and walkers and golfers will be les willing to be out and about.  The little  bullpup worked a treat.

I spoke with a nice lady taking an early morning stroll and explained why I was there and she was very supportive..."Come shoot them in my garden" she said.

Well done.

 

4 hours ago, Mice! said:

 

We're on Angelesy this week, I knew the greys had been cleared from the Island and it took ten-fifteen years but I didn't realise just how big or tree covered it was having not been here since I was a kid.

Love it, heard a rumour some whacko had taken greys back there? Hopefully not?

[PLAGUE]

https://www.qlocal.co.uk/southport/news_list/Squirrel_Pox_confirmed_in_Formby-55051296.htm

Not good news for one of the strong holds in the north.

My local woods.

[Walker570]

Sad sad sad

[Mice!]

1 hour ago, PLAGUE said:

https://www.qlocal.co.uk/southport/news_list/Squirrel_Pox_confirmed_in_Formby-55051296.htm

Not good news for one of the strong holds in the north.

My local woods.

Unfortunately it's yet another outbreak,  the grey control needs to be a lot better around the reserve,  lots of trapping goes on in gardens nearby by volunteers,  but just not enough is done.

1 hour ago, old man said:

Love it, heard a rumour some whacko had taken greys back there? Hopefully not?

I've been told that occasionally a grey will turn up where it has no rite being,  thankfully its just reds at the moment. 

It's great seeing things like this, this was at the viewing point for the Menai bridge where loads of people will stop every week and see it.

We had lunch at the red squirrel cafe today, had to be done, its nowhere near a red squirrel but the lady inside was very well informed. She said there are supposed to be around 700 reds on the island. 

Apparently we went to the right place, but it was a dreary day and we didn't see any, just signs. 

[Fisheruk]

In an area where I have undertaken grey control for more than a decade and also with the assistance of @Mice! I received a call a couple of days ago regarding the possible sighting of a dead Red Squirrel. I went out that evening and retrieved the dead squirrel from the roadside verge which was in apparent good condition apart from the RTC impact. It was an immature male, obviously from a this year’s brood.

Subsequently I have done some research and found an apparent breeding group of Red Squirrels and managed to get a photo of one in a garden this afternoon near to the area where I had collected the dead squirrel earlier in the week.

One of the folk who has them visiting his garden sent me a photo of a Red Squirrel on his fence, heading straight for the camera.

Very rewarding to see the results of active grey control bearing fruit, which is at least 10 miles from the Red Squirrel stronghold in Formby, now being ravaged by Squirrel Pox. 
 

Unfortunately the Lancashire Wildlife Trust have all but stopped grey control in the reserve area where Kevin and I spent so many hours doing the grey control for them, but it is rewarding to see less than 1/2 mile from where we put in so much effort that the Reds have established themselves and are thriving.

 

 

[Mice!]

13 hours ago, Fisheruk said:

Unfortunately the Lancashire Wildlife Trust have all but stopped grey control in the reserve

I was told they were still trapping is that not right then? I haven't been in a while so I've no idea what the grey numbers are like.

Did you tell them about the dead red? Like I said on FB it's a shame finding a dead red but great news there are reds there, that red on the fence is fantastic. 

[Fisheruk]

1 hour ago, Mice! said:

I was told they were still trapping is that not right then? I haven't been in a while so I've no idea what the grey numbers are like.

Did you tell them about the dead red? Like I said on FB it's a shame finding a dead red but great news there are reds there, that red on the fence is fantastic. 

Trapping started but seems to have stopped and there are grey squirrels everywhere. Yes I’ve sent messages about the dead and thriving Reds in the area but no response! The Conservation team at Lancashire Wildlife Trust really have got to get their act together.

[Walker570]

Frustrated it is judt too far for me to help.   Also that shot of the red on the fence is superb.

[Mice!]

1 hour ago, Fisheruk said:

Trapping started but seems to have stopped and there are grey squirrels everywhere. Yes I’ve sent messages about the dead and thriving Reds in the area but no response! The Conservation team at Lancashire Wildlife Trust really have got to get their act together.

Well  that's sad to hear, hopefully knowing there are reds on there doorstep will give them a kick up the backside?

[Fisheruk]

44 minutes ago, Mice! said:

Well  that's sad to hear, hopefully knowing there are reds on there doorstep will give them a kick up the backside?

Sadly the Lancashire Wildlife Trust have now effectively produced a grey squirrel breeding program of Grey Squirrels within half a mile of an established breeding colony of Red Squirrels. I can send you the email addresses of the CEO and Conservation Director for the Lancashire Wildlife Trust if you would like to suggest they get on top of the grey squirrels on their land 😃

[Mice!]

7 minutes ago, Fisheruk said:

Sadly the Lancashire Wildlife Trust have now effectively produced a grey squirrel breeding program of Grey Squirrels within half a mile of an established breeding colony of Red Squirrels. I can send you the email addresses of the CEO and Conservation Director for the Lancashire Wildlife Trust if you would like to suggest they get on top of the grey squirrels on their land 😃

I'll try the more subtle route.

[Fisheruk]

25 minutes ago, Mice! said:

I'll try the more subtle route.

👏👏👏🤣🤣🤣

[old man]

6 hours ago, Fisheruk said:

Trapping started but seems to have stopped and there are grey squirrels everywhere. Yes I’ve sent messages about the dead and thriving Reds in the area but no response! The Conservation team at Lancashire Wildlife Trust really have got to get their act together.

Conservation? Wildlife Trusts?

Beggars belief really? Real gains given away so easily?

Makes one wonder about  the future of real effective conservation?

[sam triple]

Only one yesterday morning was there for 3 hours, nice to see the song birds taking advantage of what’s going free at the feeder loads of different tits , black birds , robins and wood peckers , even a roe doe and its fawn wandered by , 

[Sciurus]

@Fisheruk Good news about your new reds, shame about Lancs Wildlife Trust and Formby.

Unfortunately, We had a case of squirrel pox confirmed yesterday as well. The worrying thing is it occurred in an area where 2 pals trap 365 days a year with access to two shooters when necessary.

On the plus side, reds have been sighted in our village 3 times in the last couple of weeks.

[sam triple]

Just another 1 last night few on pheasant feeders but not many as normal hopefully when harvesting is finished they’ll be back 

[ratchers]

Out early this morning and there was a grey on the feeder when I got there,tried to be quite and settled in,my it must have been hungry as it was back within five minutes and the first one was down. Half an hour later number two was accounted for which meant a long wait for number three to turn up two hours later. Didn't expect such a good total as the natural food is getting abundant and just where do they keep coming from?

[old man]

A total blank for me yesterday. Only saw 1 in 5 hours, that while driving in, probably a kit acting like on LSD.

[Mice!]

I've just been out topping up, short week again this week,  but three feeders were about empty,  couple of squirrels seen around the hazelnuts,  see what the morning brings.

[old man]

Moved again to a previous location as despite a minor move i still didn't really like the openness and gorse patch. The constant cold wind in my right ear had an influence probably on the tree rats too.

Sitting by 07.00. 3 down by 10.30 then nothing seen till a 12.00 exit. None were interested in the feeders just passing by and having a fatal pause. Strangely 1 feeder was half empty?

Loads of natural food?

[Martlandhw100]

10 minutes ago, old man said:

Moved again to a previous location as despite a minor move i still didn't really like the openness and gorse patch. The constant cold wind in my right ear had an influence probably on the tree rats too.

Sitting by 07.00. 3 down by 10.30 then nothing seen till a 12.00 exit. None were interested in the feeders just passing by and having a fatal pause. Strangely 1 feeder was half empty?

Loads of natural food?

I think there on the natural food now I've gone from filling my feeders 1s a week and being nearly completely empty to not filling them for 3 weeks and there is still food in them. I know the golf course permission has alot of Hazel and there definitely on that. This morning it looked like they where in the acorn trees at my other permission 👎

[Walker570]

Those on this new golf course set up are ravenous but seeing the course is surrounded by houses no doubt they don't have to forage for wild food.  They certainly like my mix and hopefuly Monday morning I can stay another hour. Here on home ground the one or two sneaking into our wood hve been hitting the hazels , particularly the Kentish Cob in the orchard. Had two of them but one is evading it's eventual fate.

That NE wind was particularly cutting this morning.

Edited August 26, 2021 by Walker570

[Fisheruk]

I have a local friend who is continuously culling greys on his land, should I add them to the cull total list, he doesn’t do PW?