The woods here are one of seventeen red squirrel reserves in northern England; the reds are attracted by the large numbers of conifers, as they feed on the ripe pine cones.
Unfortunately the red squirrel is now an endangered special with threats coming from a variety of angles. The main threats to the survival of the reds are the increasing number of grey squirrels, disease (squirrel poxvirus) and road traffic. Greys can feed more efficiently in broadleaved woodlands and can survive at densities of up to 8 per hectare.
Its not all doom and gloom, there are lots of areas where the red squirrels are protected, in fact the current red squirrel conservation strategy now focuses on protecting red squirrel populations in large plantation conifer forests. These include Kyloe, Uswayford, Kidland, Harwood, Raylees, Kielder, Dipton/Dukeshouse, Healey/Kellas, Slaley/Dukesfield, Greystoke, Whinfell, Whinlatter, Thirlmere, Garsdale/Mallerstang, Widdale, Sefton.
I don't reccomend you go out search for the red squirrel as they need to be left alone to flourish. The squirrels at Formby however have become used to human contact so you might just catch a fleeting glimpse of the little beauties.
Read more about Formby and the red squirrels.
