# Where are all the squirrels?



## gloryhornetgirl (May 10, 2006)

They seem to have vanished from Eastville Park.

Have they been culled?


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## munkeeunit (May 10, 2006)

I've been surprised by the amount of wildlife up my way in horfield. There seem to be more birds and more insects so far. When I was a kid in the 70's there were huge swarms of insects all the time, and a sport would be to go out in the early evening and demolish entire colonies of gnats with tennis rackets.

For years, as a result of all the insectisides there's been very few insects, and fewer and fewer birds, but this summer and last summer things seem to have recovered some. Maybe organic farms are turning things round just enough for natures food chain to recover.

Can't help you with the squirrels though sorry.


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## Sunspots (May 11, 2006)

Dunno about the squirrels, but I saw a fox on the cycle track about an hour ago.


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## Zaskar (May 11, 2006)

As with many species I think squirrel numbers vary chaoticically depending on many factors.  Like the so called butterfly effect.

Strange attractors and all that stuff is something to with it I think.


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## soulman (May 11, 2006)

Zaskar said:
			
		

> As with many species I think squirrel numbers vary chaoticically depending on many factors.  Like the so called butterfly effect.
> 
> Strange attractors and all that stuff is something to with it I think.



You still grassing up people to the filth Zaskar?


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## Zaskar (May 11, 2006)

Many complex systems can be modelled using chaos theory.  Not sure how this relates to squirrel populations or strange attractors?


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## gentlegreen (May 11, 2006)

soulman said:
			
		

> You still grassing up people to the filth Zaskar?





> This message is hidden because soulman is on your ignore list.



.


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## Dru (May 11, 2006)

I think the little rascals must've upped sticks and moved to Westbury Park. They're _everywhere_...  I suspect they've gone all aspirational and appreciate the proximity of Waitrose... I saw one carrying away a lump of foccacia, or possibly focaccia, that a neighbour'd left out for the birds. Maybe it was going to make a blackbird egg sandwich...


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## gentlegreen (May 11, 2006)

I saw a dead one in Frenchay last week on the road - it was fresh and being pecked at by a magpie.
I was tempted to take it home for my tea and maybe half a glove  

.


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## Dru (May 11, 2006)

My lurcher (mercifully long gone to wherever it is that smelly lurchers go to...) killed one on the Downs. Making the best of a bad job, I gave it to one of the hippies who were living in the loft at the time. He pronounced it delicious. Me, I wouldn't dream of eating _anything_ that'd been near that dog's mouth...


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## gloryhornetgirl (May 11, 2006)

munkeeunit said:
			
		

> There seem to be more birds and more insects so far.



There are definitely more insects on the cycle track - clouds and clouds of little flies everywhere!

I did hear something about a lack of moths this year (can't remember why) - maybe that accounts for it?


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## gentlegreen (May 11, 2006)

gloryhornetgirl said:
			
		

> There are definitely more insects on the cycle track - clouds and clouds of little flies everywhere!


They don't half feel chunky when they hit the back of your mouth  

... and it's not like I actually *need *any extra calories   

.


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## djbombscare (May 11, 2006)

the lack of months is probably cos they're all round ours. . . shagging on the kitchen window.


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## gentlegreen (May 11, 2006)

djbombscare said:
			
		

> the lack of months is probably cos they're all round ours. . . shagging on the kitchen window.


My front downstairs window is about to explode with teeny weeny baby spiders  







.


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## butterfly child (May 11, 2006)

*shudders at spider pics*


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## munkeeunit (May 11, 2006)

Even baby spiders struggle to look cute.


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## Cakes (May 11, 2006)

Look! They want to be doggies instead


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## gentlegreen (May 11, 2006)

given that they're living on my window it's probably a good job they haven't succeeded  

.


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## djbombscare (May 11, 2006)

I saw a squirrel this arvo in Sadley. 

I went out for a smoke and it was playing the car park


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## gentlegreen (May 11, 2006)

djbombscare said:
			
		

> I saw a squirrel this arvo in Sadley.
> 
> I went out for a smoke and it was playing the car park


"playing" as in looking for rough trade to support its crack habit ?  

.


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## djbombscare (May 11, 2006)

ooops I missed the "in" bit


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## s.norbury (May 11, 2006)

WTF is a squirrel?sorry to seem so naive


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## gentlegreen (May 11, 2006)

s.norbury said:
			
		

> WTF is a squirrel?sorry to seem so naive



urban bush tucker


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## s.norbury (May 11, 2006)

fuck that mate


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## Louloubelle (May 11, 2006)

Late this afternoon I went to Hapstead Heath and swam in the ponds.  I saw coots and moorhens having big fights over nesting territory (those massive feet look really funny when locked together in combat) canada geese, also fighting and courting (and making one helluva noise) a little mandarin duck, lods of mallards and pintails, loads of green parakeets, squirrels, crows, rooks, a sparrowhawk and, most exciting of all, when walking past the men's pond a carp the size of a golden labrador jumped high out of the water and then back again witha massive loud splash!  

edited to dsay that I've only just realised tha this is the bristol forum, I just saw a post about squirrels and got all excited


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## s.norbury (May 11, 2006)

Louloubelle said:
			
		

> Late this afternoon I went to Hapstead Heath and swam in the ponds.  I saw coots and moorhens having big fights over nesting territory (those massive feet look really funny when locked together in combat) canada geese, also fighting and courting (and making on helluva noise) a little mandarin duck, lods of mallards and pintails, loads of green parakeets, squirrels, crows, rooks, a sparrowhawk and, most exciting of all, when walking past the men's pond a carp the size of a golden labrador jumped high out of the water and then back again witha massive loud splash!


where hapstead?


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## Louloubelle (May 11, 2006)

s.norbury said:
			
		

> where hapstead?




should have read hampstead heath

I was just so excited about hte massive carp that I didn't notice the typo


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## gloryhornetgirl (May 12, 2006)

Anyway, back to Eastville Park.

They're back! I saw one - only one - yesterday


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## djbombscare (May 12, 2006)

They probably just had a bit of a lie-in after a winter of hibernation


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## gentlegreen (May 12, 2006)

Louloubelle said:
			
		

> should have read hampstead heath
> 
> I was just so excited about hte massive carp that I didn't notice the typo


dog carp ?    

.


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## Louloubelle (May 12, 2006)

gentlegreen said:
			
		

> dog carp ?
> 
> .



It was as big as a dog so perhaps it was a dog carp


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## gentlegreen (May 12, 2006)

Louloubelle said:
			
		

> It was as big as a dog so perhaps it was a dog carp


people are rumoured to have put all sorts of random fish in our local pond - including catfish that have outgrown garden ponds.

.


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