Excitement as red squirrels return

By Lisa Ramsden

If you go down to the woods today… you just might be lucky enough to spot one of Northern Ireland’s rarer native species – the red squirrel. And, thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers who make up the Heart of Down Red Squirrel Group (HODRSG), this elusive animal is having a resurgence in woodlands and private land across the district.

Winter is a great time to spot the affectionately named ‘reds’, with barer trees and branches providing the perfect perch for the adults and their offspring, kits, to rest on as they nibble on foraged food or from their secret stash of nuts.

Wednesay January 21 was Red Squirrel Appreciation Day and, as HODRSG stalwart Wilson Johnston explained, Northern Ireland is one of the few remaining parts of the UK where, thanks to significant conservation efforts, such as this group’s, the species is starting to thrive.

The population was decimated by the arrival of the non-native, invasive grey squirrel to the island of Ireland over a century ago. Introduced from North America, the larger grey squirrels out-compete the reds for habitat and food – as they are able to eat unripened acorns. They also carry ‘Squirrel Pox’ – a deadly disease for reds.

But after decades of decline, red squirrel numbers are increasing and they can be seen across Northern Ireland. Locally, key areas include Newcastle, Bryansford, Seaforde, Spa, Drumkeeragh Forest outside Ballynahinch, and on the Castle Ward estate near Strangford.

Wilson, who helped establish HODRSG in 2018, explained that these mammals, who spend their time leaping through the trees, building their dreys from twigs, and foraging for food, whilst often solitary, are intelligent and inquisitive.

Local woodlands are now sites the group monitors, with the rise in red squirrel numbers proving their work is paying off. HODRSG also works in tandem with Belfast Zoo to help boost populations through a breeding programme.

Wilson has a real passion for what is one of our most iconic, much-loved mammals, immortalised as ‘Squirrel Nutkin’ by Beatrix Potter. He explained that seeing a flash of red for the first time is a very special moment and something that he says everybody should experience.

Thrilled with how the group’s efforts are being received, he emphasised that red squirrels also play a vital role in regenerating our woodlands, burying nuts and seeds which grow into future trees that sustain a host of native woodland dwellers, such as pine martens.

If your interest is piqued, Wilson explained that now is a good time to go squirrel spotting – with the caveat that you give them the space they need and deserve. He also asks that sightings are reported to the group via the heartofdownreds@gmail.com e-mail and also to the Ulster Wildlife Trust’s website.

Adding he is thrilled by how the group has evolved, Wilson said that when it was first established, fortuitously, a few reds were spotted near Spa. Then “a natural corridor opened up”, leading to the numbers expanding and now living in woodlands between Ballynahinch and Seaforde.

“It was just amazing to see how quickly the sightings started to come in. Combined with our feeding programme and having the trail cameras dotted around the place, we have been able to see the numbers increasing. We think they were pushed out of Montalto Estate many years ago, and then we had this resurgence. They must have re-established, realising there were no greys about.”

In the full article read how the population of red squirrels is thriving and how citizen scientists can help.

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