Brunch in the Garden

A grey squirrel, scientific name "sciurus carolinensis", enjoying the early spring sunshine while sitting on a garden fence next to a park and eating something raided from the garden.

The grey squirrel was introduced into the UK in the 1800s. It provides an easy encounter with wildlife for many people, as it resides in parks and local woodlands.

The grey squirrel has a silver-grey coat, with a brownish face and feet, and pale underside. It has a characteristically bushy tail. It is distinguished from the red squirrel by its larger size, grey fur, and smaller ears without tufts, clearly visible in this picture. However, grey squirrels can vary in colour, with some appearing slightly ginger. If you see a pair of them the smaller one is normally the male squirrel.

They should not be encouraged to enter the home, as they can take over the loft space and chew through any alarm system cables, aerial cables, or heating control cables accessible in that space.