Paul Quagliana talks to gamekeeper Mike Appleby about how he takes on the onerous task of reducing the burgeoning non-native squirrel population of our isles
prolific, grey squirrels require a degree of control
I grew up in rural north-west England and recall with great fondness sitting and observing red squirrels playing outside our house and gazing at them through the patio windows. Around the mid ’80s a grey appeared in the garden. Needless to say, it didn’t last long. However, that was the last time we ever saw a red squirrel. As the tide of greys advanced, the reds seemed to evaporate. Greys are now firmly established and cause damage to forestry, native wildlife and shooting interests.
These days I work part-time on a trawler and recently I watched many migrating songbirds passing us at sea and in some cases landing on the boat exhausted, or even sitting in the wheelhouse. They seem to lose their fear of humans in such circumstances; I even had one perching on my hand. Watching them valiantly battling their way through the teeth of a north-westerly across the Channel to England left me with a tinge of sadness. How many of these delicate creatures, having survived the perilous journey,…
