But new species moving into an area is a natural phenomenon that happens all the time. Why is any change meant to be bad? Change is normal, it doesn't matter whether humans were the agency or something else.

Idle – I'm on it as we speak; besides between hemorrhaging disease and myxomatosis when was the last time you saw large populations of rabbits?!

west – my argument has always been from a forest management perspective

When a grey gets hit by a greyhound doing 40mph, it doesn't get a chance to fight back.

Our 3 greyhounds would LOVE a chance at that – sadly they'd probably just keep running and I'd never see them again!

But new species moving into an area is a natural phenomenon that happens all the time.

No it isn't. It is an extremely rare natural phenomenon that almost never happens. In the case of Australia, no new mammals 'moved into the area' (successfully) for millions of years. Quite a few millions actually.

Idle – I'm on it as we speak; besides between hemorrhaging disease and myxomatosis when was the last time you saw large populations of rabbits?!

I've seen loads lately, but they may just be invading Swansea.

Its subliminal advertising by Kelloggs – they are not really there, you need your intake of crunchy nut cornflakes to make them go away 😈

Forest and park management is an area where I dont have an issue-as I touched on in my first post, with the nessesary control of (any) squirrels.
But I repeat, the red squirrel is not going to recolonise any of the land changed forever by modern human activity.

west kipper – Grey Squirrels do also have a devastating affect on native song bird populations – they will raid nests and eat eggs and fledglings.

The jury has reached a verdict on Grey Squirrels ……. they must die 😐

Red squirrels certainly aren't cute. In Argyll they are considered a threat much in the way that bears are in yellowstone. So much so that there public warnings.

See that look? Remember those velociraptors in Jurrassic Park?

Porterclough and Ernie, you're both techically correct in your own way.
But whether by human or enviromental change, eventualy even the most isolated regions are subject to contact with new species.
Glaciation and sea level changes mean Britain, unlike Australia, has not really been an island for much of its history and our fauna is not particularly unique or diverse, even compared with mainland Europe.
Thats not to say that some change is'nt bad ( giant hogweed and Chinese mitten crabs for example)

By the way Kunstler, those weren't really 'velociraptors' in Jurrasic Park, They were crap unfeathered versions of Deinonychus antirrhopus- they certainly would be able to deal with undesirable mammals! 🙂

Glaciation and sea level changes mean Britain, unlike Australia, has not really been an island

It's been a while since we've been connected to North America though 😕

But yeah, you're right, eventually Mother Nature will adapt to deal with the Grey Squirrels.

Unfortunately I'm not prepared to wait several million years until new species of birds have evolved to withstand nest raids from Grey Squirrels.

ernie_lynch in "in charge of universe" shocker 😉

Ernie, It may come as a shock to you (it was to me) but scientific studies prove that most passerines are ruthless freemarket tories.
Maybe the greys are doing us a favour? 🙂

Ruthless freemarket tories ? Nonsense. They are indeed stalwart members of the bird proletariat.

Sadly here in London our very own cockney sparrows have disappeared, since those vicious American aggressors attacked and invaded us.

No more, the happy chirping sound of a cheerful cockney sparrow as it hops down the Lambeth Walk 🙁

Of course passerines of the Corvidae kind (with which I have had many a close up and personal encounters)
would happy to take on a Grey Squirrel ……… if he thought he was hard enough.

Tree rats seem to be everywhere at the mo around Chester.

Also rabbits at work feckers seem to be everywhere! Think they're using the trails to commute between burrows!

vdubber- greyhounds run in big circles, so they disapear-then when your standing there in a panic shouting for them they'll come from the opposite direction!
Scarey first time you let them off but its a real joy to see them running (or chasing squirrel nutkin!)

Gangs of them in the woods today including a black one.
Bunnies too, everywhere & as for pheasants, hit one on a bridle path, does this count as roadkill?

dam moles digging up my new lawn AGGGGGGGGGG