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Edward Lever Posts: 734 Joined: 22nd Dec 2005 Location: UK | quotePosted at 12:22 on 15th June 2014 My garden is plagued with grey squirrels nesting in nearby oak trees. Many generations of squirrels have come and gone in the time I have observed them, but I have never seen a dead squirrel (apart from road-kill !) Where do the squirrely corpses go I wonder? Eaten by dogs or foxes maybe, but despite having a great desire to see the vermin giving sustenance to other animals, I have never witnessed them being eaten or decomposing. Any suggestions as to where they go? |
James Prescott Posts: 25952 Joined: 11th Jan 2010 Location: UK | quotePosted at 12:37 on 15th June 2014 Edward --nearby to me is a park which is swarming with Squirrels -i have seen them in my garden most days--but nearby is the resident Sparrow Hawk living off the Doves which are plentiful this time of year i have seen the evidence many times on my lawn,maybe the Hawk is taking the Squirrels as well. |
Edward Lever Posts: 734 Joined: 22nd Dec 2005 Location: UK | quotePosted at 12:41 on 15th June 2014 An interesting possibility, James. We do have Red Kites here, and it gives me great pleasure to imagine them taking the squirrels. |
James Prescott Posts: 25952 Joined: 11th Jan 2010 Location: UK | quotePosted at 12:55 on 15th June 2014 Also i forgot to mention that the Magpies clear up the "corpses" as well usually road kills. |
Edward Lever Posts: 734 Joined: 22nd Dec 2005 Location: UK | quotePosted at 13:41 on 15th June 2014 Ah, yes, James, I had forgotten the Magpies. Vicious birds indeed, I have heard stories of them taking baby squirrels, in much the same way as they take smaller birds too. |
Sk Lawson Posts: 4014 Joined: 7th Oct 2010 Location: USA | quotePosted at 18:00 on 15th June 2014 We use to have resident eagles here...they take our squirrels if they are small enough, also our cats/rabbits...but of the most part people run over them with thier cars. Everyone we've had for years I've seen as road kill. So they never live long enough to have babies for the most part. |
Edward Lever Posts: 734 Joined: 22nd Dec 2005 Location: UK | quotePosted at 21:51 on 15th June 2014 Hello Shirley, there are plenty of squirrels removed from circulation as road-kill here too, but that doesn't seem to do much in keeping the numbers down. In most parts of England, the grey squirrel has caused the native red squirrel to become virtually extinct. Maybe we could do with some of your eagles here, provided they only want to take the grey squirrels. |
James Prescott Posts: 25952 Joined: 11th Jan 2010 Location: UK | quotePosted at 22:01 on 15th June 2014 A lot of the trouble Edward is people are putting food out for the birds which is an attraction for Squirrels as well therefore no need to forage -the food is there for them. good thread |
rustyruth Posts: 18773 Joined: 23rd Oct 2012 Location: England | quotePosted at 22:22 on 15th June 2014 My mother is a prime example James, I think I posted a picture of the squirrel nicking her bird nuts, it happens all the time. She's bought a water pistol but the little devil keeps coming back. |
Vince Hawthorn Posts: 12758 Joined: 19th Apr 2010 Location: UK | quotePosted at 22:33 on 15th June 2014 And they are hardy little critters too, no wonder their numbers are high. On the way to work the other day there was a commotion high up in a tree I was walking past and the next thing I see is a squirrel freefalling from a great height ( lost his grip or shoved by another I do not know ) but as he hurtles towards the ground I could see it was quite relaxed and not struggling or anything. Anyway it hits the deck with a fair old thud that I could readily hear and quick as a flash it is up and running again and straight up the tree to continue whatever it was he was commotioning about in the first place. Apart from cars I reckon they must be bulletproof. |