Wildlife in the garden - red squirrels

Are you lucky enough to live in an area of the UK where there are red squirrels?  Although greys are much more commonly spotted in parks and gardens across the country, red squirrels are our native species.  In the past 80 years, their wide distribution around the British Isles has dwindled, and they can now only be found in parts of Ireland, northern England, Scotland and Anglesey.  There’s also a small but thriving population of around 200 living on three islands in Poole Harbour in Dorset.

Despite what you might think, these charming characters don’t hibernate during the winter months – although they do often retreat to their cosy dreys for longer when the weather is very cold.

In fact, December is a good month for squirrel-spotting, thanks to bare branches and foraging behaviour.  Red squirrels can often be seen out and about in the woods, retrieving the food they’ve stored during autumn, such as acorns, seeds and mushrooms.

Reds usually have a rich, russet coat of fur – though at this time of year their usual russet shades are joined by the silver-grey of their thick winter coats.  Red squirrels are generally smaller than their grey cousins and sport tufted ears, which are often longer and fluffier in winter, making them easy to distinguish.

There’s lots of work underway to save Britain’s red squirrel population; gardeners can help support these efforts by donating money, volunteering with conservation projects or simply monitoring numbers by reporting any red or grey squirrel sightings.