Our search for evidence of red squirrels in the south of the Isle of Bute continues, but March turned out to be the third consecutive month with no new evidence from our feeders. While it’s a disappointing result for all of us, especially those putting in the hours to check the feeders and trail cameras regularly, these months of effort are still providing valuable information.

It wasn’t a totally quiet month for Bute’s red squirrels; we did get two good sightings. The first was in the north of the island on the West Island Way, along the forest track through Rhubodach Forest. The second was more intriguing because it was at Scoulag, close to Mount Stuart and within a hundred metres or so of where our feeders had been recently. If that squirrel had been there at the same time as our feeders, it is unlikely that it would resist the banquet they offered. So was this a squirrel passing through this area or a new arrival? Because this is an area with a high density of ‘red squirrel aware’ people, it will be interesting to see if we get further sightings here in the coming weeks.

We will keep our fingers crossed for positive results in April.