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The British Wildlife Centre.

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45669

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Nothing to do with trains or railways, but an interesting place to visit if in the area:


TTFN,

Ron.
 
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Calthrop

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Red squirrels in Surrey? Presumably, brought in from elsewhere and (delightful though they are), artificially fostered at the site... the only truly wild squirrels in this part of the country for a very long time, have been the American grey interlopers.
 

45669

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Red squirrels in Surrey? Presumably, brought in from elsewhere and (delightful though they are), artificially fostered at the site... the only truly wild squirrels in this part of the country for a very long time, have been the American grey interlopers.

Although the grey squirrels dominate in most of the UK, there are pockets where the reds still thrive: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/where_to_see_red_squirrels
 

Calthrop

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Isle of Wight for me ! -- with a thriving population of some three thousand red (only) squirrrels: the grey so-and-so's can't get across the intervening water ... (I don't really hate grey squirrels; just that as we know, they have over a long period caused a great, and continuing, decline of range and numbers, of the even nicer native red kind.)
 

45669

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Isle of Wight for me ! -- with a thriving population of some three thousand red (only) squirrrels: the grey so-and-so's can't get across the intervening water ... (I don't really hate grey squirrels; just that as we know, they have over a long period caused a great, and continuing, decline of range and numbers, of the even nicer native red kind.)

Rather like the American Mink taking control of our streams and rivers!
 

gg1

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Red squirrels in Surrey? Presumably, brought in from elsewhere and (delightful though they are), artificially fostered at the site... the only truly wild squirrels in this part of the country for a very long time, have been the American grey interlopers.
Bloody foreign squirrels, coming here, taking all the nuts off hard working British squirrels!!
 

Calthrop

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Whereas in the 19th century, some American chap with more money than sense took it upon himself to introduce to the USA, every species of bird mentioned in the works of Shakespeare: resulting among other things, in the European starling having attained pest status in some parts of the States. Maybe an orderly and humane exchange of populations could be sorted out...
 

nlogax

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Whereas in the 19th century, some American chap with more money than sense took it upon himself to introduce to the USA, every species of bird mentioned in the works of Shakespeare: resulting among other things, in the European starling having attained pest status in some parts of the States. Maybe an orderly and humane exchange of populations could be sorted out...

Let's start with sending back the signal crayfish. Apparently it's impossible to 'eat the species to death' in the UK because they reach breeding age before they can be caught in traps.
 

Calthrop

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Let's start with sending back the signal crayfish. Apparently it's impossible to 'eat the species to death' in the UK because they reach breeding age before they can be caught in traps.

That is just un-sporting ...
 

Calthrop

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Grey squirrel, stewed or braised, is tasty (a couple of them needed, to make a meal for more than one) -- tastes a lot like rabbit. We red-lovers have to fight back somehow !
 

45669

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Afternoon All,

The second part of my video shot at the British Wildlife Centre is now on YouTube. It includes Scottish Wildcats, an American Mink, Stoats and a Polecat. Have a look if you're interested to see it:


TTFN,

Ron.
 

Calthrop

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Have (belatedly) watched both videos -- quite delightful. Many thanks.
 

LSWR Cavalier

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Whereas in the 19th century, some American chap with more money than sense took it upon himself to introduce to the USA, every species of bird mentioned in the works of Shakespeare: resulting among other things, in the European starling having attained pest status in some parts of the States. Maybe an orderly and humane exchange of populations could be sorted out...
Not to mention the passenger pigeons, clouds of them used to darken the sky over the US. They were exterminated by hunting.
 

Calthrop

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I gather that the passenger pigeon's traits and adaptations as a species, were such that it could function as a species, only by living in huge flocks / communities, in enormous quantities; once they had been reduced beyond a certain point, it was "curtains" for them -- no chance of a situation of just a few small colonies surviving under protection, or similar.
 
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