Why northern woodlands are red squirrel strongholds

Red squirrels are native to Britain, but they have been pushed back to a handful of strongholds by grey squirrels, which carry squirrelpox and compete for food. In the north, the native reds cling on best in large blocks of conifer woodland: Scots pine, larch, Norway spruce and Sitka spruce plantations, especially where broadleaf trees are scarce and greys are absent or controlled. The Cairngorms, the Highlands, Argyll, Northumberland, the Lake District and parts of north Wales all hold populations. If you want to see one, you need to think like a red squirrel: quiet, patient, and looking upwards into the canopy of a pinewood.

Learn the signs: middens, cones and dreys

The single best clue is a midden. Red squirrels eat cones in a favoured spot, often at the base of a tree, on a stump, or on a fallen log, and leave behind a pile of stripped cone cores. Scots pine cones are small, and the reds nibble the scales off cleanly, leaving a neat central spike. Grey squirrels tend to leave a messier pile, with larger cones and scales bitten off raggedly. A fresh midden has cone cores that are still pale and sticky with resin; an old one is dark and worn. Look for middens at the foot of mature conifers, especially where branches meet the trunk.

Dreys are the other giveaway. A red squirrel drey is a spherical ball of twigs, roughly 30–50cm across, usually built in a fork against the trunk of a conifer, three to ten metres up. It is lined with moss, lichen, soft hair and shredded bark. Grey dreys are often larger, leafier and more likely to be in broadleaf trees. In winter, when the canopy is thinner, a dark ball high in a pine is worth a second look through binoculars.

Listen for the scolding call

Red squirrels are noisy when they want to be. Their alarm call is a sharp, rapid scold: a repetitive chuck-chuck-chuck or a dry, rattling trrrt, often delivered from a branch above you. It is higher and faster than a grey squirrel’s scold, which is slower and throatier. You may also hear a soft tuk-tuk or a purring, churring sound. Rustling in the canopy, falling cone scales, and the soft patter of debris are all worth investigating. Stand still, look up, and scan the trunks and branches. Reds often freeze on the far side of a trunk, peeping round after a few seconds.

Where and when to look in the north

Timing matters. Red squirrels are most active in the first two or three hours after dawn, and again in the late afternoon. Spring is excellent: courtship chases send them racing along branches and spiralling round trunks. Autumn is also good, as they cache cones and mushrooms. Mild, dry, still days are best; wet and windy weather keeps them tucked away. In northern England, try upland conifer plantations and native pinewood remnants. In Scotland, the old Caledonian pinewoods and large forestry blocks are prime. In north Wales, Anglesey and the Clocaenog Forest area are known red strongholds. Always check with local sightings boards or a ranger before setting out, and remember that reds are legally protected: disturbance is an offence.

How to tell a red from a grey

At a glance, reds are smaller, neater and more gingery, with obvious ear tufts and a bushy tail that often curls up over the back. Greys are larger, heavier, and lack ear tufts. But beware: reds moult, and in summer they can look darker, greyer or more olive-brown, with thinner tail fur. Look at the belly: reds have a creamy white underside, greys a white or grey one. Reds also spend more time high in conifers, often feeding on cones in the canopy, while greys are more likely to be on the ground or in broadleaf trees. If you see a squirrel with ear tufts in a pinewood, you have almost certainly found a red.

Responsible watching and helping reds

Watch from a distance and keep quiet. Do not try to get close for a photograph, and keep dogs on a lead. Never handle a red squirrel, and avoid feeding them unless you are at an official feeding station with strict hygiene. Squirrelpox is carried by greys and is lethal to reds, so clean your boots and equipment between woodlands, especially if you have walked in an area with greys. If you see a red, report it to a local red squirrel group or recording scheme; these records help conservationists target grey control and protect the woods that reds need. The more we notice, the more we can do for them. So next time you are in a northern pinewood, slow down, look for the midden, listen for the scold, and give yourself the best chance of a glimpse of Britain’s native squirrel.