Grey squirrels 'do not harm woodland birds in England'

[Ukwildlifeo]

The BTO have published the results of their study and the results say that grey squirrels are not the reason for woodland birds decline, although they can cause local temporary declines and may have impact on rarer species though. But rather than my over brief version read this:
BBC - Earth News - Grey squirrels 'do not harm woodland birds in England'

[Jez]

Without reading which I will do and thanks for the heads up UKwildlifeo is somewhat of a yawn from where I'm at when you happen to live with greys and Wagtails, Moorhens, Pied Fly catchers, Tits, Robins, Dunnocks, Kingfishers, Jays, Wood Mice, Water Shrews and so on In your own back yard and so appreciated every day as i draw the cutains to see them all co habiting along side each other, it's only when I happen to step outside that they all make a dash for it! Will have a look though as I'm now intruiged, so thanks form the heads up once more. Cheers

[loripo]

Interesting reading - thanks. Certainly in town although the squirrels seem to be increasing, so do the small birds. We have great, blue and long-tailed tits, blackbirds, starlings, jays, woodpecker, chaffinch, robins a-plenty, thrushes,and more recently goldfinch. Saw sparrows too recently which I haven't seen around for years.

[tufftie]

A good bit of news for a change - perhaps this will start the ball rolling in the right direction and stop the culling Both red and greys only take eggs when there is not enough other food available. Squirrels over compensate with breeding when culled so it doesn't work anyway. As for parapox - it's a zoonose so other animals can pass it on..humans included. feeling I've been here before??
Thanks for putting this on Neil - a good bit of news

[tufftie]

Originally Posted by loripo

Interesting reaing - thanks. Certainly in town although the squirrels seem to be increasing, so do the small birds. We have great, blue and long-tailed tits, blackbirds, starlings, jays, woodpecker, chaffinch, robins a-plenty, thrushes,and more recently goldfinch. Saw sparrows too recently which I haven't seen around for years.

You've prompted me to say that there are also the laws of population dynamics - you can only get so many animals (anything for that matter) in a given area...and it all boils down to the available resouces that any given species needs.

[willing to learn]

Read the report, seems full of contradictions. What impact on suburban garden birds.
Regards
Colin

[Dogs]

As a wildlife and habitat manager, I read the report keenly. But was already well aware of the habits of the squirrel through other wildlife managers and naturalists in Britain and america. The squirrel will take eggs and young as a supliment to its diet, but not in any major way.
Domestic and feral cats and corvids cause most of the damage around built up areas. And the best areas for diversity and density of birds is often on managed estates where a gamekeeper controls these predators numbers.

[eeyore]

the other thing overlooked is that regardless of the imopact on the eggs/young over population of grays will cause damage to the woodland ecosystem - particularly in ring barking coppice and young trees - unchecked that will have a negative impact on wodland bird life (and numerous other species such as dormice )

For that reason , grey culling is likely to continue regardless of the impact on reds, nests etc

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by tufftie

As for parapox - it's a zoonose so other animals can pass it on..humans included. feeling I've been here before??
Thanks for putting this on Neil - a good bit of news

deja vu allover again

I agree in theory that parapox is a zoonose - but that doesnt explain the formby situation - for years the red populatin has been visited by numerous people with no adverse effect on the squirels but one pair of greys arrives and zap - parapox epidemic and hardley any reds left in the space of a year

[tufftie]

Maybe parapox changes like 'flu? Different strains etc? If you work in the health profession you are potentially exposing yourself to all sorts of nasties (many of which you can't really protect yourself against) but not many health care workers come down with horrid things. Sorry, I've muddled what I'm trying to say but....guess you'll get the jist of it?

If we get rid of greys and reintroduce more reds and we do something about the habitat problem so they flourish, then we will still have those problems because reds have those habits too; that's why there were red squirrel hunting clubs over the UK.