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mercalia
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Visitors

Post by mercalia »

well I take my hat off to this squirrel that climbed up the wall 3 floors up to the top of the block of flats where I live
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squirrel visitor climber. click to enlarge
squirrel visitor climber. click to enlarge
Vorpal
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Re: Visitors

Post by Vorpal »

mercalia wrote:well I take my hat off to this squirrel that climbed up the wall 3 floors up to the top of the block of flats where I live

He'd likely prefer some sunflower seeds ;)
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mercalia
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Location: london South

Re: Visitors

Post by mercalia »

Vorpal wrote:
mercalia wrote:well I take my hat off to this squirrel that climbed up the wall 3 floors up to the top of the block of flats where I live

He'd likely prefer some sunflower seeds ;)


well was all I had. i must say it was very picky at selecting the bread bits. It seems this squirrel ( probably ) has been using my balcony to climb into other flats - I was told another resident had found it or one of its friends chomping away on chocolate biscuits that a workman had left behind inside his flat - it had got in via a window ( and not a balcony window at that )
Last edited by mercalia on 22 Sep 2018, 2:25pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Mick F
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Re: Visitors

Post by Mick F »

You'd be better off with an air rifle.
They might look cute, but they're horrible things.
Mick F. Cornwall
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Paulatic
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Re: Visitors

Post by Paulatic »

Tree rats!
Whatever I am, wherever I am, this is me. This is my life

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al_yrpal
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Re: Visitors

Post by al_yrpal »

Dont understand why anyone should hate squirrels? They are just wild creatures doing what wild creatures do - surviving. Perhaps they are capable of damaging some of our stuff, but so what, we no doubt damage their surroundings too? They live off the land with minimum impact, look what we the human race are doing to the planet…. Who is worse?

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
thirdcrank
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Re: Visitors

Post by thirdcrank »

Until very recently - last couple of years - you were required to notify the Ministry of Agriculture - DEFRA? - if you had grey squirrels on your propert and it was an offence not to do so.
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Grey squirrels are aliens threatening the existence of the native red squirrels. Vermin, but with a good image.
mercalia
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Re: Visitors

Post by mercalia »

Paulatic wrote:Tree rats!


I thought pigeons were tree rats?
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Cugel
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Re: Visitors

Post by Cugel »

Mick F wrote:You'd be better off with an air rifle.
They might look cute, but they're horrible things.


I know squirrels who feel the same about humans. And many hedgehogs avoid us too (if they can - they fail to outrun the motorcars, especially those driven by Mr Toad). Badgers are already well shot, as they make a handy scapegoat for the TB-spreading farmers about the place. And then there's everything else in the various fauna, all of which are classified as "horrible things" by various queer humans. They all fear us, the beasts, for good reason - except the manipulative dogs & cats. Even they are persecuted on occasion by the likes of thee.

Were you frightened by a squirrel when a bairn? Are you afraid of all furry beasts? Perhaps a displeased squirrel bombarded you with nut husks? (I suspect you deserved it).

What else of the wildlife do you hate and persecute? I will be sending a list to Wild Maddy, of the animal liberation front,. Perhaps she will reciprocate upon you, employing a wet towel or even her heavy hand!

Cugel
Last edited by Cugel on 22 Sep 2018, 6:31pm, edited 1 time in total.
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
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Cugel
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Re: Visitors

Post by Cugel »

thirdcrank wrote:Until very recently - last couple of years - you were required to notify the Ministry of Agriculture - DEFRA? - if you had grey squirrels on your propert and it was an offence not to do so.
=====================================================
Grey squirrels are aliens threatening the existence of the native red squirrels. Vermin, but with a good image.


That old chestnut! Did you realise, though, that this opinion is a signal of other such feelings you're likely to host, of the general "Coming over here, with their wrong colured fur" variety?

Here, have some proper squirrel knowledge:

http://www.grey-squirrel.org.uk/reds.php

Cugel
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
thirdcrank
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Re: Visitors

Post by thirdcrank »

Cugel wrote: ... That old chestnut! Did you realise, though, that this opinion is a signal of other such feelings you're likely to host, of the general "Coming over here, with their wrong colured fur" variety?

If it's not obvious, I posted with a certain amount of irony. The anthropomorphism is all yours.

I think it is true to say that (a) grey squirrels were introduced (b) their presence threatens red squirrels, which is why they are now so relatively rare in the UK. It's also true to say the the Ministry of Agriculture in its various forms has tried to exterminate grey squirrels but has failed., hence the change to the legislation a couple of years ago.
reohn2
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Re: Visitors

Post by reohn2 »

al_yrpal wrote:Dont understand why anyone should hate squirrels? They are just wild creatures doing what wild creatures do - surviving. Perhaps they are capable of damaging some of our stuff, but so what, we no doubt damage their surroundings too? They live off the land with minimum impact, look what we the human race are doing to the planet…. Who is worse?

Al

Grey Squirrels are a nuisance and a menace to the native Red Squirrel causing disease and driving them out of their environment,they're the only reason there are now only pockets of Reds and human made sanctuaries formed where the live.
Last edited by reohn2 on 22 Sep 2018, 6:49pm, edited 1 time in total.
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
reohn2
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Re: Visitors

Post by reohn2 »

thirdcrank wrote:
Cugel wrote: ... That old chestnut! Did you realise, though, that this opinion is a signal of other such feelings you're likely to host, of the general "Coming over here, with their wrong colured fur" variety?

If it's not obvious, I posted with a certain amount of irony. The anthropomorphism is all yours.

I think it is true to say that (a) grey squirrels were introduced (b) their presence threatens red squirrels, which is why they are now so relatively rare in the UK. It's also true to say the the Ministry of Agriculture in its various forms has tried to exterminate grey squirrels but has failed., hence the change to the legislation a couple of years ago.

It seems that now it's being discovered that introducing Pine Martins deters Greys from breeding and are being introduced into woodland where they're prevelant,apparently the the Pine Martins don't have the same effect on the Reds as they're too quick and agile.
Last edited by reohn2 on 22 Sep 2018, 7:06pm, edited 1 time in total.
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
thirdcrank
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Re: Visitors

Post by thirdcrank »

I believe all sorts of species have travelled around the world by various means, including human transport. However, I believe the Victorians frequently collected exotic flora and fauna without appreciating what they might be doing. Sometimes it involved shooting animals for trophies, be that stags from Scotland for their antlers, or Bengal tigers to make rugs. At others, it was new plants for their gardens or fruit for the table: a form of conspicuous consumption. One way or another, they didn't appreciate how they were affecting the balance of nature.
reohn2
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Re: Visitors

Post by reohn2 »

thirdcrank wrote:I believe all sorts of species have travelled around the world by various means, including human transport. However, I believe the Victorians frequently collected exotic flora and fauna without appreciating what they might be doing. Sometimes it involved shooting animals for trophies, be that stags from Scotland for their antlers, or Bengal tigers to make rugs. At others, it was new plants for their gardens or fruit for the table: a form of conspicuous consumption. One way or another, they didn't appreciate how they were affecting the balance of nature.

Agreed,Rhodidendrons are a classic example
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
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