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Caught on Camera
Young Mini Ranger Reuben, gifted us a fantastic squirrel feeder which has already been a great hit with the Red Squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) and three separate squirrels made an appearance. Most distinctive is the cheeky squirrel that is almost black, showing just how much variation in colour can occur within a species. It will be interesting to see if this trait is passed on to next years offspring (kits).
Red Squirrels on the Rise
But this is only a small part of the great Red Squirrel success story. Historically Black Andrew and Newark have been a stronghold for the reds, but over the last 12 months red territories have expanded greatly. I’ve seen a red on several occasions exiting the playpark (maybe after riding the flying fox) and also two chasing each other in the Cants, but there have been numerous sightings from the wider estate teams and members of the public. Sightings have now been recorded at Shielshaugh, the Lower Loch Boathouse, the Vista, near the Old School House and even at the Black Gates, showing that reds can now be spotted through most of the core areas around Bowhill House. Look out for stripped cones, a flash of red in the woodlands or you may even hear their chittering in the treetops. Squirrels are very active through Autumn, creating caches of food for the cold Winter months when food is less abundant.
If you do see a Red Squirrel in another location, please do share it with us by emailing bowhillranger@buccleuch.com and you can also register your sightings (including grey squirrels) with Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels following this link.