Super Squirrels

I have noticed our resident foxes have gone- they used to spray near our gate each night which stank but it kept the rats away ( at least at surface level- I know they are everywhere) and for the first time in 20 years we got rats in the property.
I did not realise the SS ( super squirrels ) were so horticultuallly disruptive- I quite like them but yes feeding them is daft- encouraging them. The SS certainly do not seem to be a feared of humans like their country cousins.

A few years back we had a massive squirrel population in Nelson Square. Can remember gardening with a couple of other volunteers when we were captivated by a squirrel who navigated up the side of Vaughan House in a straight line to a balcony on the 4th floor.

On inquiry it turned out that many residents were both surprised and enchanted to find a squirrel on their balcony or window ledge and would actually leave food out for them.

At the time we were having problems with different groups of anti social teenagers. The community association got a letter round quite quickly warning people not to leave their balcony doors or windows open if they popped out during the hot weather even if they lived on the higher floors.

Squirrels can do an awful lot of damage to curtains, cushions, settees and carpets and you can hardly hit a squirrel with an ASBO

after reporting the demise of 'our' local fox - I was in the Jerwood space tonight and a young ( good looking) male came into the café area - looked about for any food/ dropped crumbs - had a lie down and little rest- before going back down through the back doors toward Copperfield st- no fear what so ever

Kory wrote:

after reporting the demise of 'our' local fox - I was in the Jerwood space tonight and a young ( good looking) male came into the café area - looked about for any food/ dropped crumbs - had a lie down and little rest- before going back down through the back doors toward Copperfield st- no fear what so ever

Sorry about that - I was really tired.

Ha ha ha ha - you were looking in very good condition

Grey squirrels are invasive pests and the main reason that we don't have our native red squirrels any more. Greys carry a deadly pox that they don't suffer from but transmit to the red squirrels. There are a quite a few red squirrel conservation organisations.
http://www.redsquirrelsunited.org.uk/