Spring Squirrel Survey

Safeguarding Ponteland’s Red Squirrels For Future Generations

For more details please contact us: REMEMBER EMAIL: [email protected] Positive Action, Sally Hardy: 07878 061880 Positive Support, Penny Hewitt: Positive Results! Margaret Stainsby: Supporting the Red Squirrel Protection Partnership WEBSITE: www.pontelandredsquirrels.co.uk Issue 5 April/May 2007 Spring Squirrel Survey WE NEED YOUR HELP! We are carrying out a Spring Squirrel Survey 2007 and need everyone to report recent squirrel sightings! Please take the time to telephone, email or visit our website to log your sightings as soon as possible! Your sightings will help us gauge and West. The Red Squirrel current numbers and locations of Protection Partnership are red squirrels in our area. It will also continuing to work hard to control determine the whereabouts of any grey squirrels, NWT SOS are grey squirrels in the district. Results helping raise awareness and local of the survey will help us with our groups, such as Ponteland Red research, be shared with you in our Squirrels, new groups Squirrel next newsletter, and, of course, be Action Greenhead and Ulgham Red sent to the Wildlife Trust Save our Squirrel Squirrels in Northumberland, along with several Project to add to their national database. well established local Cumbrian groups are As you may be aware, our native red squirrel is providing a vital life line for our little red friends. under threat of extinction in Northumberland Above all though, our efforts would not be as (one of the last counties on mainland UK to be effective without the cooperation and help from home to red squirrels). Increasingly effective residents, local people and landowners! efforts are underway to protect this beautiful Keep up the good work! creature in our area and across the North East Abandoned Baby! Pip, a baby red squirrel, is very climbing back up the tree, the lucky to be alive – thanks to squirrel-lovers decided to intervene vigilant squirrel-lovers in North and took the baby in. After caring Northumberland! for him during the past few months, When a drey was blown out of a he is being weaned from the tree during August storms last year, comforts of captivity and young Pip was abandoned by his encouraged to make the transition mother. After watching the tiny into the wild – a job proving to be squirrel make several attempts at very difficult! Location withheld at the request of the rescuers!

Supplementary Feeding Surprisingly, summertime is the hardest period for red squirrels because food is scarce. Our red squirrels favourite nuts, seeds and fruit found in the wild are not available until autumn!. Therefore, it is even more important for us to keep feeders topped up throughout the summer months. Remember to clean your feeder regularly to minimise the risk of disease! Please telephone or email to request our feeding guidelines or look on our website for details. Road Kill Threat On Increase The greatest threats to red squirrels are NO ROAD SENSE, so please be conscious of not grey squirrels carrying the squirrel pox only driving to the 30mph speed limit, but also keep virus, lost of habitat and motor vehicles. an eye on the verges and paths as you travel through the estate. Red Squirrels seen at the side of the road In Darras Hall, far more red squirrels are can, without warning, dart across the road, totally killed by motorists than by any other oblivious to oncoming traffic. Therefore, it is our cause. We already have on record 5 red responsibility to SLOW DOWN if we see a red squirrel deaths in 2007 and over 9 known squirrel, just in case! road-kill deaths in 2006. If the current If you are unlucky enough to find a red squirrel road- trend continues then red squirrel road kill, please contact us as soon as possible. Please deaths will be up almost 1/3 in 2007! don’t place it in the hedgerow as very often other animals will drag it out. Dr Sainsbury, Institute of Most of the deaths have occurred on Darras Road, Zoology, is monitoring the health of the red squirrel in Runnymede Road, Edge Hill and Middle Drive. You Britain. His department needs the bodies of squirrels will not be surprised at this if you live on one of these found dead and will carry out free post-mortems. We roads and witness the relentless speeding vehicles can provide posting details if required. If the squirrel racing up and down, some in excess of 60mph! is very mutilated, please bury it or place it in several Darras Hall Committee are currently in talks with bags and put it in the bin. Northumberland County Council to install ‘portable Please, please, please watch your speed and be interactive signs’ to warn motorists of their speed. vigilant in looking out for red squirrels near the This is good news as long as the talks become kerbside. Control of speed will also help dog action! However, we can’t emphasise enough the walkers, children and mothers with pushchairs. need for motorists themselves to be responsible, The future of our red squirrel is in your hands! aware drivers. Our endangered red squirrels have

Squirrel Concerns! Did you know? We have had several worried residents calling about Baby red squirrels are called kittens. They are born with squirrels with bald patches on their backs! Although their eyes closed, without teeth and with no hair. unsightly, this is usually perfectly normal and doesn’t After just seven weeks, they look just like small versions mean the squirrel is poorly or has squirrel pox virus. of their parents and are ready to leave the drey. Squirrels moult their coat twice a year, once after winter and then in the late summer before the weather gets colder again. Grey Alert! Occasionally, baldness can be a symptom of mange but it is usually coupled with itchiness and thickened A colony of grey squirrels is multiplying in darker skin. In squirrels, mange appears to cause Woolsington. Whilst we are working hard to less harm than in other animals, exposure in a cold eliminate these from the area, we still need spell being the only real threat. In most cases, residents in both Woolsington and Ponteland though, the hair returns with no ill effects. (along with all surrounding areas) to be vigilant A Ponteland and report any grey sightings as soon as possible! squirrel The Haltwhistle area is suffering from a rapid moulting with a decline in reds at the moment as greys carrying very bald back! Squirrel Pox Virus have desimated several colonies. Woolsington, as residents are aware, has also seen a significant decline in red numbers due to the influx of the grey.

Unfortunately, red and grey squirrels cannot live in harmony! If we are to save our Thanks to everyone who supported our Stall Northumberland red squirrel we must do our at the February and March Farmers Markets! utmost to discourage the grey from getting a We hope to do some more later this year! All foothold in the area! proceeds raised will help to protect our red Let’s Keep Northumberland Red! squirrels for future generations. We now have merchandise for sale on our website. Please support us! We extend our thanks to Peter Curran for www.pontelandredsquirrels.co.uk allowing us to use his wonderful photographs.