Photo-a-Day  (Thursday, 11th July, 2024)

I've seen an hedgehog do that.

Don't talk to me of Squirrels !
They might look cute but they are a such a pest. This years batch of young ones have no idea how to behave ! We thought we would try trapping them in a humane cage only to find out that if to manage to do that it is then illegal to release them back into the wild, by law you must dispatch them in a humane way. You can't use poison & you must not drown them only way to dispatch them is to send them off to Squirrel Heaven with a blast from an air rifle !
I'm not joking that is as the UK wildlife law stands.
My other half is practising on tin cans !

Go on, Sammy, lad.....you're nearly there!

It’s a cute animal but it can cause untold damage. It’s a very invasive creature. If I was the home owner I would be very worried - it looks like it’s heading for the attic where it will gnaw through anything to keep its teeth sharp ie wires and leading etc. Sad but true. I have a friend who had his roof and attic damaged. They damage trees as well. There’s so many grey squirrels up here where I live.

Yes they are cute but they are Tree Rats, no more than vermin, causing untold damage.
They kill chicks in nest or eat the eggs, strip bark off trees, dig up lawns and bedding plants and eat planted bulbs.

there's loads of them in Preston.Two come every day to try to dismantle my bird feeder.

Oven ready squirrel available at wildmeat .co.uk , £4.95 , and getting rave reviews from chefs and consumers . Save yourself a fiver . Get your Jed Clampitt head on and shoot your own. .

I tried it a few years ago at a gastro pub in the Lakes. Nice. .

Those rough new bricks will help him on his way they’re a good grip for his claws…I wonder how he would go on trying to get a hold on shiny Accrington bricks…just a thought. I suppose desperation would help. ‘needs must when the devil drives’

There’s me thinking they are cute BUT if they are causing problems they do need to be culled and far nicer to see the red ones at Formby and the odd one around the Lake District.I’ll probably see some along the canal towpath today getting in training for Manchester to Blackpool ride and maybe back home depending on how wet the weather is.

These are vermin. Why should we be faced with vermin climbing up a wall? Surely there are more appealing and more relevant pictures for PAD.

Maybe that’s the karmic message for us all - shoot the vermin , then we kill each other in wars !
‘Where have all the flowers gone , long time passing …’

Come listen to my story about a man named Poet.
A poor Standish man and he liked for folks to know it
And then one day he was shooting at a rabbit
But he shot himself a Squirrel and his dog ran off to grab it
The next thing you know old Poet’s a millionaire with loads of dead Squirrels lying everywhere
His kinfolk said “Poet move away from here, tek thisen ter Wigan where there’s loads of gradley beer”
Poet said “Tha reet lad, I’m fed up of being here”
So he loaded up his truck and he moved to Wigan Pier!

Davey, to the Squirrels we are the vermin, polluting the air they breathe and pouring sewage into the water they drink.
The old farmers had a saying that went “ tha cawnt tell another farmer that his midden stinks if tha’s not cleaned thi own out fust”

Yes they are vermin but please give credit to Dennis for the photo.
I for one appreciate his efforts.

Yes Dennis had to be up early to catch that critter creeping real quick up the wall in the blink of an eye! He did well to catch it ( the photo not the squirrel!) Let’s hope the owner sees it!

Yes Colin it's a great photo. Dennis seems to have a real knack of being in the right place at the right time.

Strangely, some red squirrels can appear grey, whilst some grey squirrels can appear red? as I found out.
https://www.northernredsquirrels.org.uk/red-or-grey/

Some 30 years ago I was called to a house with noises in the attic, and with only a dim torch I saw a squirrel with plenty of red fur in there, and because the council then did not treat squirrels I reported it has a red one, only after it had been trapped by the wildlife team was it deemed to be a grey squirrel which had a large amount of red fur.
I've no idea if they released it, though I do know that in neighbouring councils grey squirrels were put into a sack and then hit with a club.
At the house I attended it was found that wiring had been gnawed which the owner had to replace, they couldn't claim through insurance either with squirrels being classed as rodents.
As Helen pointed out you now cannot release them back into the wild if you do trap them - but, if there are still plenty grey ones locally and as long as you aren't seen or tell anyone - then who is to know.
Or you can always say "well it looked to have red fur to me".

Thank you Colin, it wasn’t easy clinging onto that wall with one hand and holding the camera with the other, and all about twenty feet above ground ha ha!

Brilliant, DTease! That made me laugh. As for squirrels, we were all put on this earth to live our lives, but some of us think we're more important than others. There are some so-called "humans" who are actually more "vermin" than the squirrels with the vile things they do, using innocent children in vile, unspeakable ways to make money, and beating and starving defenceless animals. There are some evil people in this world and THEY are the vermin, not the animals.

Good ‘un DTease .

Grey squirrels , mink , Himalayan balsam , Japanese knotweed , American skunk cabbage , rhododendron
… these are just just a few non native invasive species that have become a pest on this island directly as a result of human intervention .

I could probably name a lot more if I could be bothered to Google the subject , but don’t blame the squirrel , blame those damned privileged wealthy Victorians of our empire era .

Australia was beleaguered by a plague of rabbits , descendants of half a dozen or so imported individuals , so myxomatosis was developed in order to control their numbers .

This horrific disease then either spread to , or was deliberately introduced into this country , so whereas rabbits were once a common sight in my youth , I haven’t seen one in years .

We really should cease playing God with nature

… but we won’t … No Sirree !

Homo Sapiens in my view is the most malignant species that this unfortunate orbiting rock ever had the misfortune to nurture… seriously …
Just take a look around … then tell me that I’m deluded .

Those well - heeled Victorians sowed the seed it appears , leaving subsequent generations to reap the bitter harvest … and it still goes on .
Witness designer dogs for just one ludicrous example .

Spuds, if it wasn't for Wally we would never had any chippies.

Nice one DTease . Sorry for the late response . Only just down from the hills .

Not forgetting the ‘baccy’ from Virginia..Ex Cop. Blame that on old Walter.

"It's 'Nutty Walt' from the colonies " . Bob Newart sketch ' Introducing Tobacco to Civilisation ' on Y tube . Brilliant .

Hilarious! I watched it twice…who’s have thought it…. ;o)))

Is that the one where he says “And then you put it in your mouth and set fire to it” Poet? Or words to that effect.

That's it Dennis . Bob made some crackers . I like the one about bomb disposal . ' You've found a shell on the beach . You think that's unusual do you , finding a shell on the beach ' .

I never knew about that comedian glad I have been introduced. I watched the ‘bomb disposal’ as well. I must look for more from him Poet. Very clever man indeed and so believable.

Veronica , try ' an infinite number of monkeys ' . Short and sweet and chuckle guaranteed .