Tale of red squirrel is hailed by naturalists
SIGHTING IS WELCOMED AHEAD OF PACKHAM’S UK BIOBLITZ
Environment Reporter HOBBY photographer Philip Ure has clocked up the miles across the North and Cumbria in search of good images of the endangered red squirrel.
But during an early breakfast at his home in Fawdon in Newcastle, the picture opportunity he sought presented itself on a plate.
Red squirrels are a rarity in Newcastle, but a youngster came calling and posed conveniently on the bird feeders in Phil’s garden as he and his wife watched.
“It was amazing. There we were at 5.45am and the red was just three metres from us. I dashed for my camera and was over the moon with the photographs.”
It is thought that the red may have travelled from the Havannah and Three Hills nature reserve two miles away, which is one of the few locations where the squirrels are seen in the city.
And the reserve’s reds will be what TV wildlife presenter Chris Packham will be hoping to see when he visits Havannah on July 18 as part of a nationwide bioblitz titled “Why Nature Reserves Are Not Enough.”
Simon O’Hare, Red Squirrel Northern England project manager, said of Phil’s sighting: “This is really encouraging news, and is a testimony to the effort put in by volunteers around the city, who work tirelessly to protect red squirrels.”
Steve Barratt, from North East Red Squirrels Volunteer Group, said: “A local group, North East Red Squirrels is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
“This support helps us maintain the threatened small Newcastle red squirrel population which we have done by feeding and monitoring red squirrels at local strongholds and by controlling grey squirrels whose presence results in the disappearance of native reds.”
For 10 days Chris Packham and his team of experts will be visiting 50 wildlife sites in Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales.
Concerned by reports of the rapidly decreasing populations of some the UK’s wildlife, Chris is carrying out the first independent audit of its kind in the UK.
His goal is to investigate the extent to which wildlife species are under threat as a result of human activity and to raise money for local projects working on the conservation of wildlife habitats.
Chris said: “I need to see it for myself. I need to meet the people with their fingers on the pulse of our wildlife the length and breadth of the UK, the great British naturalists who know their stuff and are making a difference. I need to get a complete first-hand experience of