🐿️ Four Red Squirrels at Howes North – A Promising Start to the Breeding Season
We’re delighted to share a wonderful series of camera trap photos taken at Howes North, showing not just one but four different red squirrels visiting our feeders!
A playful head tilt from a bright-eyed red squirrel — one of the regular visitors to Howes North.
This new section of woodland is already proving to be an important and thriving part of our habitat network. Although much of Howes North includes broadleaf and cone-bearing firs, rather than the denser conifer stands, it’s clear that the squirrels may well have been living and feeding here all along.
This red squirrel shows off a strikingly dark tail — a beautiful Isle of Wight colour variation.
Among the visitors caught on camera are an adult male, already looking ready for the upcoming breeding season, which usually begins in January, and a female keeping busy preparing for the colder months ahead. The other two squirrels were a little more discreet so we don’t know if they are male or female.
The woodland glows in autumn sunshine as a red squirrel explores the feeding area.
It’s particularly encouraging to see so much feeding evidence across the site. This suggests that Howes North offers excellent foraging opportunities — with hazel, beech, and cone-bearing trees providing a reliable food source as autumn turns to winter.
One of our camera-shy visitors pauses just long enough for a charming portrait.
The woodland’s mix of habitats makes it a true haven for wildlife. While the dense conifers nearby offer shelter, the more open areas with broadleaf trees create a balanced environment where red squirrels can find both food and safety.
A red squirrel peeks from the feeder opening, keeping a careful eye on the woodland around it.
These sightings remind us why protecting and connecting woodland across the Isle of Wight is so vital. Each additional patch of habitat strengthens the network that allows our native red squirrels to move, breed, and thrive without the pressures faced elsewhere in the UK.
A confident red squirrel sits proudly on the feeder, showing off its glowing autumn coat.
We’ll continue to monitor activity at Howes North throughout the winter, and we look forward to sharing more updates as we go, hopefully with signs of nests and young squirrels in the months to come!
This vibrant adult red squirrel balances on the feeder as it surveys the surrounding trees.
We really hope that you enjoyed seeing some of our favourite images from the trail camera. We love the way that it enables us to catch a glimpse into the quiet, thriving world of our woodland residents.
A curious red squirrel peeks out from the feeder, pausing mid-snack in the broadleaf edge of Howes North.
💚 If you’d like to help us protect these precious habitats and support red squirrel conservation across the Island, please consider making a donation today:
👉 https://iowredsquirreltrust.co.uk/donate