Grey squirrel population to rise ?

Historic distribution

Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) 

In 1892 a wealthy landowner in Benenden, Kent,  thought it would a great idea if a few Grey Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), from over the pond in America, were set free to mingle with the native wildlife, in the parkland surrounding the large manor house.  The landowner was not alone, for in other parts of Kent and indeed much of southern England, other people had the same idea. At first the American import struggled to get a toe hold in the countryside, but as the 20^th century progressed their numbers began to grow, so that by 1930 most of Kent was occupied by these feisty little rodents.

In contrast, the native Red Squirrel’s (Sciurus vulgaris) fortunes in the county took a nose dive. They were classed as ‘common’ in 1908, confined to east Kent and the western county borders in 1945, only found in 4 parishes by 1959 and extinct  by the mid 1960’s. No doubt the ‘squirrel picture’ in Paddock Wood mirrored the rest of the county.

The picture now

Grey squirrels numbers in Paddock wood are relatively low for an urban area and distribution is patchy. Grey Squirrels prefer mature broad leafed woodlands & parkland and since these are in short supply in the town, so are the grey squirrels. My own garden, along with adjacent neighbours, has tall trees within it and I do remember having a resident grey squirrel during the cold winter of 2013/14. The attraction was the food I put out for the birds at the time. I have never seen the squirrel since and I guess it either moved on to pastures (or gardens) new, or succumbed to the grim reaper.

The best places in the town for squirrels are where there are trees (preferably conifers) and gardens; trees for shelter and gardens for food. The woodland spinney along Green Lane is one such place and the old Church yard is another. The woodland between Green lane and Warrington Road is also a good spot, as is Mole Trap Wood along Mascalls Court Road. Trees & gardens = grey squirrel heaven!

Raiding a squirrel proof bird feeder !

Foal Hurst Wood, the towns designated local nature reserve, also has grey squirrels, but again, not in great abundance, for although there are plenty of trees, there are only a few nearby farm houses & gardens, so the local resident population has to rely upon food within the wood, or cross the busy Badsell Road and raid the bird feeders in the gardens in the bungalows along Ringden Avenue, which they do !

A rosy future?

Now, if you were to build 300 new houses next to Foal Hurst Wood & Brick Kiln Wood, which is what Tunbridge Wells Borough Council wish to see, then as a local grey squirrel, whoopee, boom time is round the corner, for cometh the houses, cometh the gardens & cometh the bird feeders, stuffed with super fat enriched food. As a grey squirrel you might die from blocked arteries, but not from starvation!

Ditto the situation in Green Lane, where 350 new gardens, should be a magnet for grey squirrels currently living in the Spinney in Green Lane and from Mole Trap wood.

Discussions about grey squirrels, often divides opinion amongst nature lovers, gardeners and home owners. I’m not wishing to make a judgement here, just to make a prediction that, like the earlier post on the local fox population (3rd February), I predict that the grey squirrel population in the town will rise over the next 10-20 years. Time will tell if I am right or not, for nature doesn’t always follow the logical route, but a £5 bets says that I am right !