UK: "U.S. Varmints Pushing British Relatives Out"
 

That's the headline in USA Today's article today about how the American gray squirrel is on the verge of making the indigenous British red squirrel road kill that will vanish from the country within a decade or so if the bigger gray squirrel is allowed into the red squirrel's diminishing environment - basically in Scotland - after having decimated them south of that.

But the grays are moving north more and more - competing for the red's food and habitat and also carrying a 'squirrel pox' that don't hurt the grays but is lethal to the reds.

About 120,000 red squirrels remain with 2.5 to 5 million gray squirrels.

"red squirrels hold a special place in Britons' hearts since Beatrix Potter wrote the 'Squirrel Nutkin' in 1903.

The charge against the gray squirrels has enlisted trappers, wildlife groups, the government and even Prince Charles is offering to ride his steed and dogs on squirrel hunts.

SQUIRREL STEW

Chefs are now developing squirrel recipes - article notes that the Overton Mill Restaurant in Devon has added the grays to its menu with recipes such as: Colonial Squirrel Kebab and Squirrel and Leek Fricassee.

And the squirrel does not apparently taste like chicken - but 'halfway between boar and pheasant' says the Overton Mill's owner.

The restaurant also delivers gray squirrel meat around the U.K. - skinned or unskinned.

"Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal plans a squirrel recipe for this TV series net year"

Oh well i guess British cuisine can only be the better off with squirrel on the table.

Wonder if there is a black market for red squirrel?

Grey Squirrels are, quite rightly, classed as vermin. It means that wildlife rescue places have a real problem as they are not allowed to release them back into the wild after they have been rescued by a member of the public.

Luckily we still have gorgeous red squirrels here in NL, and no greys. I see them daily when walking the dogs.
Some idiot did release some Japanese variety into a park this year, but he was ordered to recapture them as they would form a threat to the reds. He managed to capture half of them, and all but one of the others were found dead. I just hope the missing one wasn't a pregnant female.

This is news?

Vermin or not, grey squirrels are cute enough to put a lot of people off eating them. Vermin casserole doesn't sound too appealing either! They are however a nuisance and I have heard stories of these tame animals attacking young children or causing fires by gnawing through cables, in addition to pushing out the native reds.

The nearest red squirrels to us are either in the Lake District or the National Trust squirrel reserve at Formby Point on the Lancashire coast. They are smaller and even cuter than the greys.

Barbara: &quot;<i>This is news?</i>&quot; USA Today doesn't do &quot;news&quot;

(they must have had a VERY slow &quot;news&quot; day to headline this - there have been stories about the gray vs red squirrel problem for decades)

The news is that PalenQ managed to post this without commenting on how the republican American grey squirrels are naturally dominating the hopelessly dated monarchical British red squirrels. It's true that he did squeeze in a mention of Prince Charles, but refrained from any disparaging remarks about him and his family.

No mention of the 'chunnel' either.

Be grateful for small mercies.

Prince Charles, but refrained from any disparaging remarks about him and his family.&gt;

I am slipping.

As for news? But i think it interesting for travelers to know background on the critters they may see abroad - like now if i see a tiny Democratic red squirrel in UK i will take note and when i see the bully Republican gray squirrel - grabbing all the food, resources, etc for itself - again i will remember this story.

Poor Queen Anne is looking decidedly poorly.
This story was running in the 1960s.
I seem to remember that there was a bounty on the beasts.
I like game and will eat them if I can find a supplier.

Really the bully gray squirrel making the native red squirrel extinct is really a metaphor for American culture and English culture - the English of course being the tinier red squirrel, being poisoned by the big gray American squirrel.

There was an obituary of Queen Ann in the NYTimes a few weeks ago - as i noted.

<i>It's true that he did squeeze in a mention of Prince Charles, but refrained from any disparaging remarks about him and his family.</i>

Why bother making disparaging remars? Mocking this particular royal family, as well as the very idea of the monarchy is like shooting fish in a barrel.

Personally, I save my scorn, not for the British, but for the Aussies, Canadians, etal. The only thing worse than having an unelected geezer as your head of state is when that geezer doesn't even live in your country.

Personally, I save my scorn, not for the British, but for the Aussies, Canadians, etal. The only thing worse than having an unelected geezer as your head of state is when that geezer doesn't even live in your country.&gt;

Travelgourmet - no truer words have i heard. Brits keep the doltocracy around because it's been there forever - sentimentality and love of pomp and circumstance

But Aussies and Canadians who keep the doltocracy as their Heads of States is totally mind-boggling. And even in Canada the Queenie hack appointed as Gov General is unprecedently using her power to influence who is PM.

The Republics of Canada and Australia - sooner rather than later?

It's up to them and is none of your beeswax
However unlike your elected monarch, the Queen has no ability to blow the rest of us into kingdom come.
Can you imagine what damage Queen Sarah could have done?

Oh Josser i could really give a rat's arse, i hope you realize.

Back to the Varmints

I've only had squirrel, a stew, once, up at Deer Drinking Camp in the North Woods

and i thought it OK - lots of tiny bones to watch out for but rather nice gamey taste - these were wild squirrels living on what squirrels were meant to - acorns, walnuts, etc. and not like in urban areas where squirrels proliferate due to many good folks putting corn and sunflower seeds out for them and from un-baffled bird feeders.

Our bigger squirrels are really quite adept at climbing or descending into feeders - even down thin threads.

I have an old sunflower stalk in my garden with an old sunflower on top and i recently saw a squirrel shimmy up a few feet to get at the old seeds - he was rocking back and forth.

Most city dwellers view squirrels as pets - i also will throw out food for squirrels at times - though i like my 'pet' chipmunks better.

I read that squirrels, if they see another squirrel when they are burying their nuts in the fall will fake bury them and after the other critter leaves, move them somewhere else.

something in me loves squirrels - gray or red.

I enjoyed this article about the Red Squirrel Protection Partnership (&quot;We only call ourselves the Red Squirrel Protection Partnership because if we called it the Grey Squirrel Annihilation League people might be a bit less sympathetic&quot;).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...els-protection

What about Purple Squirrels

on TV last night they talked about a Purple Squirrel that is taking England by storm

really - they do not know why this rodent is purple?

Really they do. As reported on the beeb the other night they suspect it was feeding in a printers and chewed on some prnters ink capsules. Normal colour will be restored as soon as it moults in Spring.