Red squirrels at formby

[demicav]

Originally Posted by black

There was an update on the National Trust site about the pox outbreak. The advice remains stay vigilant and report sightings of sick red squirrels to The National Trust wardens or Red Alert. It is also vital to report sightings of grey squirrels in the Formby area so that these can be effectively dealt with.

I have a friend that lives in Victoria Road that leads up to the reserve and concerned residents have been putting out humane squirrel traps for the Greys over the past few years.

National Trust | North West | News | Squirrel Pox Virus still a threat

Thanks for the link, useful information.

[d70mpv]

Just thought I'd update this thread as I was keen to know how the reds were doing myself. I was there in June and the outbreak wasn't looking good then.

I managed to find this article on the Mail website. Red squirrel colony faces extinction from deadly virus spread by grey cousins | Mail Online

I take everything to Mail says with a pinch of salt as it's more than prone to a little hyperbole (to say the least), but it really does sound quite grim.

[Tracey.A]

I too am saddened by this news. I have heard of the rare case (extremely rare case)when a red has overcome this virus, but on the whole it does wipe out whole populations. Those rare individuals that do survive do not readily breed in captivity, so it's not good news re breeding reds to overcome this pox virus. I don't want to get into a red/grey squirrel debate I just want the reds that are left to be protected, but it isn't looking good long term.

Tracey

[Ann2]

I made a brief visit to Formby a few weeks ago. I only saw five red squirrels although thankfully they all looked healthy.

Does anyone know if the fox still visits? I didn't see him this time sadly.

Ann

[Jeremy68]

Hi,
I went to Formby for the first time in December 2007, and although we saw a few Red Squirrels (and the tame Fox), we were told numbers had declined dramatically during the last few weeks.
Anyhow, I was in Manchester for a concert over the weekend, so decided to pop over to Formby again - and took all my photo gear, hoping for some great shots, as my last visit coincided with a camera malfunction! During a couple of hours wandering the woods and dunes, we didn`t see a single squirrel (Grey or Red), and no sign of the Fox, either. Only wildlife of interest was a Stoat we saw in the woods near the carpark. (Oh, yeah, and about 10,000 holidaymakers, who made us glad we came by train - walking down from nearby Freshfield station - rather than sitting for hours in a traffic jam.) So, definitely looks bad for the Reds now, and certainly not worth a photo trip there at the moment.
Here`s a link to a fairly recent article on the subject: http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/so...1022-22843671/ .

[tomou47]

I visited Formby last Monday (19/9/11) and saw approx 30 red squirrels during two walks around the Squirrel Walk section of the pine woodland. I didn't have to look far and placing the feeding boxes on tree trunks has definitely helped to bring them out of their hiding places. Great to hear that 120 have been tagged...

[Jeremy68]

That sound great, tomou47; seems like they are starting to make a full recovery. Was there any sign of the tame Fox that used to hang around there? Did you get any photos of the squirrels? Anyone else been lately? I'm thinking of a photo-trip, but it's quite a journey for me, so need to make sure it's worth it before setting off!

[tomou47]

Hi Jeremy - I only had my mobile so didn't get any photos. the squirrels moved too fast in any case! No sign of a fox. There's a designated red squirrel trail with feeding boxes which increases the chances of seeing them. As far as I'm aware, there is still a healthy population there but if you want to make sure, contact the NT at Formby - their phone/email details are here: Formby - Visitor information - National Trust

[austin402]

Its a stunning place and they are stunning animal a local treasure

[vole-woman]

Lovely pics, Austin.