Formby squirrels, a sad tale

[ChrisJB]

I wouldn't totally give up on Formby. I was there over the winter and there still seemed plenty of them about.

Regards, Chris

[GME]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

I wouldn't totally give up on Formby. I was there over the winter and there still seemed plenty of them about.

Regards, Chris

That's good news. It'd be terrible if this outbreak wiped them out. They're lovely creatures and with Formby being so close (for me) it'd be a real shame. It doesn't sound too promising from what d70mpv was informed of though

[ChrisJB]

Being in Blackpool, Formby is probably your best bet to see reds, or alternatively, head up to to the Lakes.
Happy hunting!

Regards, Chris

[d70mpv]

There were lots there over the winter, as I put in my post though the decline has occurred in the months since then. I've been reliably informed that sightings are now a rarity. I seem to remember that a figure of 12 in 6 days was quoted. It still might be one of the best places to find them however!

[GME]

That's awful news I didn't realise sightings would have dropped that low. I wonder if they can recover, or if they will soon be all gone

[demicav]

Originally Posted by d70mpv

Having a bit of time off at the moment I was wanting to fulfill an ambition to see some Red Squirrels at first-hand. I've heard that, in England, Formby near Liverpool is one of the best places to do this. Having heard of the recent squirrelpox outbreak at Formby I thought it was best to give them a call before driving the long way from the SE. I almost wish I hadn't...

Having spoken to a National Trust representative today he said that the squirrel population has plummeted ~60% in the last few months since the outbreak took hold last November. Sightings are now a rarity compared to previously when they weren't quite 'falling out of the trees', but the population size meant that sightings (and therefore photography potential) was exponentially greater. The fear now is that the Formby site will go the way of other NT properties and lose its red squirrel population entirely.

This is clearly terrible news, not only for the already shrinking biodiversity of the UK but also for those of us that enjoy the challenge of trying to capture the beauty of the natural world through the medium of photography. We can only hope that a resistant population eventually emerges though whether the reds will have chance to adapt to the virus (that seems to be spreading at speed) is unclear.

I'm therefore keen to know if there are any other good sites to see reds in England, the closer to the South East the better really. I know this is a tall order! I'd love to see these iconic animals before they exit the UK for good.

Sorry to put a dampner on the days' proceedings, I thought it was important to let everyone know if they were wanting to travel there in the near future like me.

Very sad news. I was aware of the outbreak but didn't know it was so bad. I have been to Formby once just over a year ago and saw plenty of Red Squirrels then.

[almostnormal]

parapox is a nasty thing. once a populationn has got it its basically stuffed. went to Wallington this weekend and they have removed the squirrel feeders in an attempt to stop the spread, we saw some that were healthy, but one with symptoms. talking to the staff they tell me that once its in a population the population just goes, one after the other