In my garden I get lots of wildlife! One of my favourites is the pair of grey squirrels that feed off the fallen bird food! The pair visits daily hiding peanuts around the garden and collecting nesting material.
Yesterday I put up my hide next to the feeding station! Within minutes a squirrel came to investigate and very nearly came in! It then sat under the feeder and began scavenging on the fallen seed and peanuts for about half an hour!
Grey squirrels are native to the east of North America. They were introduced to Britain in the 1870s and are now widely distributed across the whole of the UK. The grey squirrel has killed off most of the UK’s red squirrel population. They carry a disease, parapoxvirus, that does not appear to affect their own health but will often kill the red squirrel.
The squirrels in my garden are currently visiting more and more – up to 3-5 times a day and I often see them together! They are also collecting nesting material from a pile of dried grass cuttings and dog hair
that I placed in my garden for the birds. Although some people see grey squirrels as pests – which I did too before investing in squirrel-proof feeders – they are amazing to photograph and can be quite amusing to watch when they are hopping round the garden!
Young Naturalist: Izzy Fry 