Cyril the Red

.Just returned from a lovely week on Anglesey and timed the weather perfectly as the whole time we had warm sunny days,  even sweltering in the heat when we visited South Stack.    We rented a beautiful large house overlooking the Menai Straights and invited our lovely neighbours to join us so had a really enjoyable holiday visiting a lot of different areas and finally catching up with some red squirrels.     The main highlight wasn't the red squirrels but it had to be finally meeting our lovely forumate Gaynor where we enjoyed a walk together through the pretty wooded area at Dingle and later calling in again on Gaynor on the way back from Cemlyn and Caemes Bay.      Was fairly quiet on the birding side at the coast being end summer and into autumn with many summer migrants already heading out and waiting for winter visitors to arrive although some geese passed over which were quite possibly pink-feet in a large skein.       

Far too many photos to put in one thread so I will dedicate this one to Cyril the Red    !!

Penrhos Coastal Park seemed to be the place where you were almost guaranteed sightings of the reds with 4 feeding boxes filled with black sunflower seeds (guess red peanuts are too expensive ! )  so we called in twice during our stay on Anglesey.  

Got to love these delightful and charming creatures with their flame red/orange coats ......     first pic is the ideal habitat and not a sign of greys anywhere on the island :)

Hello sweet-pea    !!  

LQQking at the camera ..................... dare I risk coming down it thinks .........

on its way ...............

a quick peak inside the box of seeds ...........

open the lid wider 

another squirrel getting stuck in to the feast    ....

Peek-a-boo ............

little beauty .............     come on down 

Inquisitive critter ...........

Nom...nom....nom........

keeping its eye on a dog which was passing nearby ..........

and another close up to finish

  • Beautiful pics aitch, so pleased to hear you met up with our Gaynor!
  • Gorgeous photos, Hazel. It seems to have a very expressive face! Thanks for sharing.
  • Good to hear from you again Hazel, glad you had a lovley time away and were able to meet up with Gaynor. The red Squirrels are cute little things, love the way their tails curl up their backs and over their heads! Look forward to more updates.
  • Absolutely brilliant pics Hazel, sounds like you all had a fab time ;-)
  • We had a little rain yesterday Hazy so you can just come back and bring that sunshine with you!!! Also they had first sighting of a Cetti's Warbler in Cemlyn yesterday too. :-) Never mind next time.....and folk there will have to be a next time as meeting Hazy and Mike after so many years chatting on this Forum was just brilliant, it was as if we had known each other for years. Titch turned up today and I had severe words with him for missing your visit :-)
    You took really lovely photos up in Holyhead of the Red Squirrel Hazy, and I think you both found our little island well worth visiting.     

  • Can't believe you got 'em to stay still Hazel lol. Super shots, thanks for sharing
  • Many thanks everyone,   it is good to see how well the native reds are doing on Anglesey with numbers increasing now that the greys have been eradicated from the island and a careful watch being kept to ensure it stays that way.     The colour of these squirrels is simply breath-taking when you see them, especially with the sunlight catching their flame coloured coats.    Our neighbours called in at Plas Newydd (National Trust) on the way home and saw them scampering along the stone walls and by the feeding boxes so I'm sure we will be back at some stage to visit more places. 

    @ Gaynor,  it was such a pleasure to finally catch up with you in person and many thanks for making the effort to meet us at Dingle and for the hospitality later when we shared a cuppa at yours on our way back from Cemlyn;    interesting to hear there was a first sighting of a Cetti's Warbler there,  they do seem to be increasing in numbers everywhere.     Anglesey is such a beautiful island with its rocky coastline, woodlands, beaches and farmlands and views across the straits to Snowdonia - you certainly do have wonderful views from your home which felt so welcoming.     Give our greetings to the elusive Titch when you see him and say hi to gorgeous Sue for us, she is such a sweet little dog.     

    Right, I better sort out a few more pics of where we toured for another thread but will try narrow it down from 500 hundreds pics !     

  • 500? For a week away? Slacker lol Sweat smile

  • Only 500 pics!

    Seriously, good to read you had a good week on Anglesey and a nice selection of Red Cyril pics as well, and thank you for sharing. There has been a lot of work over the last decade, and longer, to eradicate the greys and boost the red squirrel population, and it seems to have worked well.

    I've noted Penrhos Coastal Park for when Mrs PR and myself next go to Wales, its very close to a retail park Mrs PR likes to visit, so I can drop her at the shops and nip around the corner.

  • LOL PB,   500 after chucking out lots of bad pics and similar looking and non-descript photos !    

    @ Mike,   you'll have to zoom in to this map;     we headed off the A55 (heading Holyhead direction) turning immediately right after crossing the inlet;   car park is visible (blue arrow) as you head over inlet.   Walk out end of car park into the woodland where red star is on map and go past the pet cemetery for several metres until you will meet a crossroad track in this woodland area and 4 squirrel boxes are around there.    (The red line was already on the map so ignore that ! )        There is a map at the car park.