Red squirrel

User avatar
rogers1
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 5:04 pm

Red squirrel

Mon Jun 08, 2015 9:27 pm

I was out last Saturday morning at my perm in Perth & Kinross.

Very cold start, it was 1 degree at 0530 as I was driving up the M90, the sun was splitting the trees though. Promise of a beautiful day

Anyway, I got behind the gun at about ten to six and had eight good, healthy rabbits in the bag inside an hour.
One part of this permission covers another garden, who's owner also wants me to keep rabbits down there. It's a never ending task as they migrate in from three sides, but hey ho, it keeps me amused.
As I was spying out this second garden I saw it was fairly moving with life: So much so that it took on, for a little while, an almost surreal atmosphere.

There were at least four rabbits. There were five red squirrels. Yes, five! I have never seen more than two reds simultaneously in my puff.
There was a magnificent melanistic cock pheasant (one of those rare, fabulous blue green jobs)
Chaffinches, a bullfinch, coal tits, blackbirds, a thrush.

I was half expecting to see Mr Tumnus.

Anyway, the cock pheasant spotted me and bolted, so I quickly killed two of the rabbits, the second one did one of those super high back flips and landed back on the turf with a resounding thump.
That spooked just about everything, so I backed out the way I'd come in as quietly as possible, made my way back to the car and swapped my rifle for my Canon ;) took it back to the scene and took these pics. Three of the reds had departed, no sign of the pheasant, but these quickly fell to my deadly aim...
Image
Image
Breakfast club first sitting....
Image
Breakfast club second sitting
Image
I felt truly blessed! I got to within about six metres by moving slowly and quietly
AA TX200 MkIII in .177 with a Viper
AA Ultimate Sporter in .177, JSR scope
Weihrauch HW45 in .177, No glass, save my old, weary eyes....

User avatar
darran77
Posts: 209
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2015 12:53 am

Re: Red squirrel

Mon Jun 08, 2015 9:33 pm

Looks like you had a great visit and with the bonus of the lovely reds, i was however a little worried when you said
"so I backed out the way I'd come in as quietly as possible, made my way back to the car and swapped my rifle for my Canon" :o
i had to read your post twice .
Great pics .
daz
IFAC member

no avatar
wastrel
Posts: 876
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 5:26 pm

Re: Red squirrel

Mon Jun 08, 2015 11:17 pm

superb mate, & bloody good photo`s too! saw my first (& only) at Lochgoilhead couple of years ago, great to know they`re on the up numbers wise.
AA S200
Walther LGU
Westlake fit for the bin
Webley Raider 10
Walther underlever
1st Grand Order member

User avatar
rogers1
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 5:04 pm

Re: Red squirrel

Tue Jun 09, 2015 6:36 am

This permission I see reds all the time. When I was being shown round it by the owner (two and a half years ago) she said that she'd seen greys in the formal woodland bit of her garden. (She hadn't seen a red for two/three years. We got a fleeting glimpse of one grey on that mornings visit.
Briony told me she wanted the greys GONE.

Well, word must have got out because since then I have not seen hide nor hair of greys!
If I do, I shall start live trapping and shooting them big style

Duncs
AA TX200 MkIII in .177 with a Viper
AA Ultimate Sporter in .177, JSR scope
Weihrauch HW45 in .177, No glass, save my old, weary eyes....

User avatar
Sake-san
Posts: 551
Joined: Mon May 18, 2015 7:28 pm

Re: Red squirrel

Tue Jun 09, 2015 7:41 am

Beautiful pictures of these lovely creatures, we too usually only see them in ones and twos except when the song birds have their eggs in the nests, when strangely the territorial concerns seem to fade and it becomes a free for all. This then brings in a resident pair of buzzards who start to mop up the squirrels and thus one imagines a balance is restored.
We are privileged to have genets visit on occaision but, they are very timid and rarely sighted, I am told they will also take squirrels but, have never witnessed it.
The joys of nature :)
TX200/Gary Cane/Sightron SIII 10-50x60
TX200/Gary Cane/Sightron SIII 10x42
TX200 test / analysis gun

no avatar
granville
Posts: 602
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:33 pm

Re: Red squirrel

Tue Jun 09, 2015 7:29 pm

great too see and good read .
and nice bag as well .
well done.

no avatar
air gun
Posts: 306
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2015 12:24 pm

Re: Red squirrel

Tue Jun 09, 2015 9:00 pm

I think the government should fund a week long grey squirrel hunting week once per year for all air gun shooters. I cant remember the last time I saw a red. :(
Image
This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless.

User avatar
rogers1
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 5:04 pm

Re: Red squirrel

Tue Jun 09, 2015 11:48 pm

I too think a concerted effort could see grey numbers reduced hugely in a very short time. In parks and formal gardens, they ain't shy and would be lining up to commit hara kiri.

It won't happen in this country as there are a few too many Brian Mays around

Duncan

PS, Oddly, the SNP have made noises regarding culling greys!!
AA TX200 MkIII in .177 with a Viper
AA Ultimate Sporter in .177, JSR scope
Weihrauch HW45 in .177, No glass, save my old, weary eyes....

no avatar
air gun
Posts: 306
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2015 12:24 pm

Re: Red squirrel

Tue Jun 09, 2015 11:57 pm

rogers1 wrote:I too think a concerted effort could see grey numbers reduced hugely in a very short time. In parks and formal gardens, they ain't shy and would be lining up to commit hara kiri.

It won't happen in this country as there are a few too many Brian Mays around

Duncan

PS, Oddly, the SNP have made noises regarding culling greys!!

tell me about it.
Image
This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless.

User avatar
Raj
Posts: 2005
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 9:36 pm
Location: Rugby

Re: Red squirrel

Wed Jun 10, 2015 6:53 am

Good shooting ... with both gun and camera! 8-)
“It's the Indian, not the arrow"

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 19 guests