Sunday, November 25, 2007

Squirrel News


Hola darlings!

The mixed nuts I'd been buying as special treats for my fat and sassy troup of squirrels that had been on sale at the Pick and Save for $2.99 a pound are back up to $3.49 a pound - and it doesn't take much to make up a couple of pounds. But I splurged anyway today when I trekked down to the store to stock up on milk, margarine, bread, eggs and, of course, cheap wine (the only kind I drink). I mixed up the nuts this time rather than just buying the filberts but - too funny - the walnuts are too big for the squirrels to tuck into their mouths and carry off for hiding/burial in the ground! I've had a ball watching them wrestle with the walnuts this morning - me bad.


I picked this story up a few minutes ago (via a Google search, reported as of "1 hour ago") - what the HELL is the Labour Party thinking? The red squirrels are under seige in Great Britain and chopping down woodland to destroy yet more of their precious habitat in aid of "restoration" of sand dunes instead - because some frigging beetles (yechhy, insects!) are endangered? Oh please! From the British National Party website:


Labour okay plans to destroy red squirrel habitat
Environment correspondent reports.
Protesters have reacted angrily after a 5000-strong protest to save the habitat of red squirrels in Formby was rejected. The Formby red squirrel reserve is well known and very popular with visitors.Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, said that the felling of 75 hectares of woodland - almost 25% of the coastal woods - will go ahead, even though the red squirrel population will drop as a result. The affected area could support a population of 22 red squirrels.Local councillors voted unanimously against the tree felling plans. It is believed that the sanctuary is one of the last strongholds of our native squirrel. The imported grey is a threat to the red, as it can pass on a disease which it itself is immune to, and this can decimate squirrel numbers. The greys move into the area in autumn and winter, and squirrel pox, the disease they carry but do not develop, could wipe out the local reds in just four years, conservationists warn.


The Liverpool Daily Post has a story on the pending destruction.

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