My Best Moment, 2012

My best moment was an early morning close encounter with an inquisitive red squirrel, on the Underscar Estate, near Keswick in Cumbria, who decided it was time to pose for me.

I was unaware at first that this red squirrel was watching me from a very safe distance as I put hazelnuts into a hiding place in the boundary wall.

With its ears poking upwards it seemed captivated watching where I would move to next. It seemed to know if it waited patiently I would leave it to eat the nuts in peace.

When it feels I've retreated to a safe distance, it creeps into the boundary wall and checks out the hazelnuts.

The bold squirrel uses its nose and whiskers to select the chosen nut.

King of the castle, the red squirrel savours the hazelnut.

A privileged moment for me on the morning of 20th November. These six shots were taken in sequence very quickly. I love how this red squirrel could show me so many poses in so short a time.

Hide and seek with a red squirrel.

                                                       Woodland Walk Waterfall


The Castlerigg Underscar Apartment, situated close to the entrance of the beautiful woodland walk, gave me the welcome opportunity to observe the red squirrels in the conifer trees. Their acrobatics in the branches were as good to watch as any trapeze artist at a circus.

                                                  Entrance to the Woodland Walk

I left some hazelnuts in the nook of a conifer tree at the top of the woodland walk; within minutes the red squirrel had discovered them. Good eyesight and an excellent sense of smell enables it to find food quickly.

                                              Steps leading leading down to the stream

                                   Red squirrel making use of the steps to hunt for nuts.

                                                                     Found some

Then the magic began as I watched them spend time in the tree tops leaping from one branch to another, balanced to perfection. The squirrel holds its tail straight and behind during a long leap, it swings it from side to side as it hurries along a swaying branch. Sensitivity to touch is well developed with special hairs (vibrissae) on its feet and at the base of its tail as well as whiskers on the face.

As I continued to observe, this red squirrel seemed to favour a particular branch. I watched as it marked its regular routeway by face wiping. Wiping their faces on tree branches is in order to deposit a smelly secretion from a glandular lip plate as a sort of calling card. Probably the chief way squirrels recognise one another is by smell; and leaving your own personal smell about the place is a way of marking out your space, even though this space is not defended.

This squirrel then decided to observe me using the branches as cover, before moving down to the feeders. Once a nut was chosen, it settled on the wall, holding its tail behind it. The  hairs on its tail are over 8 cm long and have a parting down the middle. Good this squirrel is enjoying its nut so much as they are hopeless at remembering where they bury them.

A BIG,BIG THANK YOU TO UNDERSCAR

"Are all these photographs taken at Underscar?" is a question I am frequently asked by Underscar timeshare owners and staff. 

I take many photos of the red squirrels on the Underscar Estate, and produce cards and postcards, which are sold to raise funds to continue supplementary feeding of these beautiful little creatures. My photos are usually taken around Derwent and Grange Apartment patios. The red squirrels seem to appreciate the feeding stations here. The photos at Derwent are taken the first two weeks in August. The photos at Grange are taken in October. A change of photo shoot in November sees us at Castlerigg Apartment. Here the boundary wall is the backdrop for many shots.

Castlerigg  is the last lodge on the right and you
can see the boundary wall sloping down the hill.

Squirrel taken from Castlerigg in November.
This squirrel is displaying its winter ear tufts

    Another red squirrel moving along the boundary wall towards
the feeding station.

   Derwent Apartment patio and you can also see the patio to
 Grange which is the apartment furthest away.

Squirrel investigating the feeder in the Derwent garden

 Red squirrel looking closely at a tree trunk strategically placed
 on the Derwent patio and stuffed with hazelnuts.

Climbing to the very top of the basket
squirrel feeder in Grange garden

Using the garden cover to sneak up on the hidden nuts.

Squirrel looking over the Grange patio

The feeding log is popular and has now
been moved to the Grange patio.

I would like to express my thanks to everyone - the owners and others who purchase the cards. Each year I will produce new cards from my August, October and November visits to Underscar. 

The staff at Oxley's reception desk have done a terrific job in selling the cards and postcards - so much so that the number of cards and postcards sold has reached one thousand..

The maintenance staff are to be commended in constructing new boxes, filling and cleaning feeders and purchasing feed. Any grey squirrel sightings are reported to Glenis, Richard and Julian.

Underscar maintenance staff do a sterling job with the feeders.

Once again thanks to everyone for supporting the Underscar Red Squirrel colony.

One happy squirrel.

Why Male Robins are so butch!

This belligerent and rather butch looking male robin is giving us the eye through our lounge window. It is a threatening stare from a dominant male who is very sure of its territory. Male robins may hold the same territory throughout their lives, and will even attack a bundle of red feathers or their own reflection if they mistake it for another individual. It will sing to defend its territory.

The male in its territory seeks a favourable lookout post. It will not tolerate another robin nearby.

They like human company because we provide food and nesting sites for them. They regard us as waiters always providing food for them.

Their cheeky attitudes have endeared robin redbreasts to the British public, and in 1960 they were crowned the UK's national bird. The male and female are similar in colouration.

Red Squirrel Fat Fest

Autumn is the time when all red squirrels deliberately put on weight. It is as if they are suddenly given permission to grow as fat as they can, as fast as they can!

Sunday 28th October saw the red squirrels at Underscar eating as much as they could from our patio feeders. They weren't deterred by heavy rain all day and returned for seconds, thirds and even fourth helpings to put on fat reserves for the winter. They put on about 12% of their body weight in autumn fat.

The squirrels did a lot of weighing and shaking the hazelnuts in their paws before choosing one. They certainly can tell a good nut from a rotten one. If the nut rattles, the kernel is likely to be small and shrivelled, and not worth eating.

Good luck Underscar squirrels in remembering in the winter where all your stored caches of nuts are.

I become a Calendar Girl for red squirrels

On the 24th August, the day before my 41st wedding anniversary, David Bellamy arrived in Cumbria to judge a photography competition organised by the Allerdale Red Squirrel conservation group. I entered the above photograph of this squirrel captured in Dodd Wood during the month of November. To my surprise and delight, the news came that this photograph was a winner. I was told this photograph will be the cover for a calendar to go on sale and the proceeds will contribute towards red squirrel conservation for the Allerdale Group. Here are some of the reports from the local Cumbrian newspaper, The Times and Star:

Holding the 3 main winners of the Allerdale Red Squirrel Group Photograph competition, from left, Mary Burkett OBE, Botanist and competition judge David Bellamy and Susan Southworth from the Allerdale Red Squirrel Group, Isel Hall, Cockermouth, Friday 24th August 2012: Ian Carruthers 50037754T018. JPG (CopyrightTimes and Star)

David Bellamy, British author, broadcaster emvironmental campaigner and botanist, who judged photographs of red squirrels for a calendar to raise money for the Allerdale Red Squirrel Group, Isel Hall, Cockermouth, Friday 24th August 2012: Ian Carruthers 50037754T012. JPG (Copyright Times and Star)

Photograph of a red squirrel by Maria Blakeley from Huddersfield which won the Allerdale Red Squirrel Group competition judged by David Bellamy, Friday 24th August 2012, Isel Hall Cockermouth: Ian Carruthers 50037754T016. JPG (Copyright Times and Star)

Three's a crowd (but only for a short while!)

These dark tailed squirrels have visited our patio every day at Underscar for the last 14 days. I was so lucky to get a shot of the 3 all together.

They are kittens and look like miniature versions of their parents. Kittens begin to venture from the nest when they are ten week olds; they are learning to find food for themselves and spend a great deal of their time obsessively burying what they find.

It is good to see these three brothers and sisters staying close to one another. Anytime between 10 - 14 weeks of age they will move out into a new nest and begin to live alone; then they will hardly tolerate one another.

Two new wardrobes a year.

Red squirrels moult their ear tufts once a year - so at the moment there's a lot of bald ears. They will grow back within the next few weeks. They'll be sporting new tufts ready for winter.

They are moulting their tails now too - again they do that once a year. The body fur is moulted in Spring and Autumn. 

                                                                   Summer Coat

Here I am in camouflage clothing, tracking red squirrels.

Lowther Game Fair

Hereford Owl Rescue were at the Lowther Game Fair. They will rescue captive bred owls from anywhere in the UK. The rescue centre will look after 40 owls at a time and is owned by  Baroness Sasavon Barth und Kippenruer. 

I held three of these rescued owls at the Lowther Game Fair yesterday.

Although owls have always been a popular bird, the general public are found to have very little idea of their needs in terms of feeding, handling etc. Owls featuring in recent films have led to an increase in the number of people keeping them as pets, not always with very satisfactory results. Most of the birds at the centre can never be released into the wild, as they are captive bred and would not learn to hunt for themselves.

www.herefordowlrescue.co.uk

Tail Talk

Just about the most important signal post for a red squirrel is its tail. When subdued or snoozing its huge bushy tail is usually held over its back and head, umbrella style.

As it moves it is either held out behind the animal or used as a rudder when jumping onto walls or tree stumps.

Tail swishing - as sweeping side to side movement - generally means the squirrel is not quite sure of the situation.

Tail flagging or flicking can mean a number of things: if it feels disturbed it will flick its tail up and down. Tail flagging can be a sort of greeting or warning to other squirrels.

Dubworth Silver Meadows

Dubworth Silver Meadows is a wetland nature reserve where Bassenthwaite Lake once extended its waters. As we walked round creamy meadowsweet dominated to give a silver appearance. We were not lucky enough to catch a glimpse Roe Deer which inhabit the wooded areas of the site, but we will return soon either at dusk or early morning.