Grey Squirrel

Although the subject of the grey squirrel is a contentious one, I couldn’t resist capturing a few images of this character in the Autumn leaf litter. Whilst this ‘invasive species’ has almost completely displaced our iconic reds, it’s not at all their fault. Originally brought over as exotic additions to estates and stately homes by the wealthy, they quickly dominated our native squirrels, driving them almost to extinction.

 About the Grey Squirrel:

Now a familiar mammal sight in gardens and parks all over the UK, the grey squirrel has almost completely displaced our native Reds. They were first introduced from the USA in 1876 by T V Brocklehurst in the grounds of Henbury Park, Cheshire, in 1876. Grey squirrels are much larger than our reds and have out competed them wherever they have shared habitats.

Red squirrels were once the only squirrels in the UK, but sadly due to the introduction of the much larger American greys our native population of reds has been almost completely displaced. Thankfully there are still a few isolated strongholds in the UK and in an exciting new development they are actually starting to make a steady comeback helped by the resurgence of the pine marten.

You can find more about the Grey Squirrel here.