I miss my seagull but can I have a squirrel instead?

aliasojo

Before we moved, I used to have a very tame seagull that would knock on our door with his beak.

I know people hate seagulls but he had quite a character and would sit on our shed roof if we were in the garden, just passing the time away and clucking at us occasionally.

We always used to put food out for the birds in winter, we'd have a plate with small seeds and grated cheese etc for the little birds and a plate with chunks for the bigger ones. I felt quite bad when we left them tbh, sad person that I am.

We don't have seagulls in the area we live now but I've just ordered a bird feeding station thing so I can feed the smaller birds in our new garden. I hung up a coconut shell feeder on a tree for the time being and have just seen it being visited by a red squirrel. I think that's the first time daughter has ever seen one other than in pictures.

Don't know much about squirrels apart from the fact some class them as vermin. Is there any reason why I can't leave nuts out for him? Should he be discouraged from visiting the garden for any particular reason? I think it's quite educational to watch wildlife and it's better for daughter to see things in real life rather than in a book but as I said, I know nothing about squirrels so don't know if I'm encouraging trouble.:)

rising_from_the_ashes

Ohhh, you are sooooo lucky having a red squirrel as they're becoming incredible rare.:D

Grey's can be considered as vermin - but never a red!

They will happily eat some nuts, sunflower seeds and fruit such as apples.

Lucky you ....

Youdontseeme

The (grey) squirrel that live in my communal courtyard seems rather fond of those kfc type chicken wings, but that could be cause he's an east london squirrel and is a bit "street" init!

Mother feeds unsalted peanuts and sunflower seeds (gets bags of the thing really cheap from one of those weigh bin shops) to the red squirrels,(she has two and a hedgehog) in her garden.Place the food up high apparently cats rather fond of slaying them!

YDSM

heretolearn_2

grey squirrels are vermin as they are not a native species and cause a lot of damage. But I'm sure I'd still enjoy having one visit my garden, so don't worry about it, letting one squirrel get a bit fatter won't make much difference in the scheme of things.

It probably is a grey squirrel you have. Reds are extremely rare and only found in a few areas of the country. Grey squirrels often have a reddish tinge to their bodies so it's easy to get confused if you 'don't know about squirrels'. I've had people insist to me that a grey is a red, because of the red tinge. real red squirrels are smaller and lighter, and a definite bright ginger red all over, with a bright red tail too. If it is a red - how fantastic!

Deep_In_Debt

OP, oh wow! I'd love to see a red squirrel in my garden. I'm jealous!

aliasojo

heretolearn wrote: »

It probably is a grey squirrel you have. Reds are extremely rare and only found in a few areas of the country.

No, I promise you it is most definitely a red.

I've just ordered a squirrel feeder and I'll fix it to the tree it was climbing down.

OH said he sees quite a number of them in the area where he takes the dog for a walk.

This area is wildlife central. I was driving daughter to school the other morning and a baby deer jumped over a ditch and ran across the road right in front of my car. I wasn't going fast so slowed down and stopped almost immediately and the thing just stood in the middle of the road staring at me. It was like a showdown.

We also have pheasants in the garden but this is now shooting season so I don't know if I'll be seeing many more.

Myrtle77

It may even be a bit of both, as they've now started to interbreed.

aliasojo

Myrtle77 wrote: »

It may even be a bit of both, as they've now started to interbreed.

That seems to contradict everything I've been reading tonight, have you got a link or a site I can refer to about interbreeding?

Example:

Red and grey squirrels are different species (Sciurus vulgaris and Sciurus carolinensis, respectively) and are not reproductively compatible. Several million years of independent evolution (grey squirrels are native to North America) have resulted in differences in genetics, diet and habitat that would make interbreeding non-viable, whatever outward characteristics they may share. Hedgehogs and porcupines don't interbreed either.

gettingready

Photo please... have not seen a red one in 20 years of living in UK....

In Poland there are only red ones, they look lovely... Lucky you

I got an awful lot of grey running around where I live, right under my window i throw them any nuts and they love them...

aliasojo

I'll try.

The one I saw was smallish and was a strong red colour, it clung onto the tree trunk upside down for a second before running off. There was no time to do anything but just watch. I'll keep the camera handy in case it comes back. (I hope it comes back now that I've spent money on buying a feeder for the thing!)

meritaten

I read your post about the seagull and remembered a magpie which used to live around me. I first noticed it because it used to sit on a neighbours fence and would be staring intently into their living room. come the summer and I could sit outside and I realised why - it was fascinated by the nieghbours parrot! the parrot would replay the theme from 'Neighbours' and the magpie would copy it! then the magpie started copying other things! phones, tv advert ditties, rocky barking, a sort of maniacal giggle (dunno where it got that from), but it drove most of us nuts when it started copying our car alarms!!! it was funny sometimes to see people come out - and realise it was that damn bird again!