Why red squirrels choose the woods they do

Red squirrels are picky about where they live, and that pickiness works in your favour once you know what to look for. Across the UK they cling on in strongholds such as the Scottish Highlands, Kielder and the Northumberland forests, the Lake District, Anglesey and the Clocaenog in North Wales, Formby's pinewoods, the Isle of Wight and the wooded islands of Poole Harbour. Away from grey squirrels and the squirrelpox virus they carry, reds thrive in mature conifer and mixed woodland, particularly stands of Scots pine, larch, Norway spruce and Douglas fir. Hazel, beech and sweet chestnut nearby add valuable autumn food.

Look for woods with a mix of ages: tall trees for dreys and canopy runs, plus a shrubby understorey for cover. Reds are most numerous where conifers set seed heavily, so a good cone crop in late summer means busy squirrels in autumn and a strong breeding season the following spring.

Field signs: dreys, cones and stripped bark

You will often spot what a red squirrel has left behind long before you see the animal itself.

• Dreys. A red's drey is a compact ball of twigs, moss and soft lining, roughly the size of a football, usually wedged into a fork tight against the trunk of a conifer, four to eight metres up. Each squirrel may keep several. Greys build bulkier, leafier dreys in broadleaf forks, so a tidy twiggy ball high in a pine is a promising sign.
• Nibbled cones. Find a stump, log or low branch covered in stripped cone cores and a scatter of discarded scales, and you have found a feeding station. Reds strip the scales away and leave a neat central spindle; greys tend to bite the cone apart and leave a messier base.
• Stripped bark. In late spring and early summer, reds nibble bark to reach the sap, leaving small pale patches on larch, sycamore and pine.
• Cracked hazelnuts. A neat round hole with a smooth rim is usually the work of a small rodent such as a wood mouse. Reds crack hazelnuts more roughly, often leaving fine tooth marks around the broken edge.

When to go: timing your walk

Reds do not hibernate, but they are most visible in the first hour or two after dawn and again in the late afternoon before dusk. They tend to rest through the middle of the day, so a lunchtime stroll is rarely the best use of your time.

Late September to November is prime season: young animals are exploring, adults are busy caching food, and the leaves are thinning. Winter is quieter for activity but easier for spotting dreys in bare trees, while January and February often bring noisy mating chases tumbling through the canopy. Spring is good for bark stripping and for seeing pairs together. Fine, still days just after rain tend to be best; windy weather keeps squirrels low and hidden.

Fieldcraft: watching without disturbing

Patience beats chasing every time. Choose a spot near fresh feeding sign, sit or stand still, and wait. Ten quiet minutes is often enough for the wood to settle around you. Wear dull browns, greens or greys rather than anything bright, and keep the sun behind you where you can.

Binoculars make all the difference, and 8x42 or 10x42 pairs are ideal for woodland. Once you find a squirrel, hold your distance — 15 to 20 metres is comfortable — and move low and slow. Avoid approaching a drey directly, and never surround one or climb towards it. If a squirrel stops feeding, flicks its tail stiffly, or gives a hoarse, rattling scold, you are too close: back off quietly and it will usually settle again.

Keep dogs on a short lead in red squirrel woods and stay on the paths. Please do not feed reds or put out feeders. Concentrated feeding points help spread disease, draw in greys and encourage squirrels onto the ground near roads.

Knowing reds from greys

Size matters: reds weigh around 300g, while greys are nearly twice that. Look for a reddish-brown back, a cream belly and, between October and March, the distinctive ear tufts. Reds also spend more time high in the canopy and move in short hops along branches, whereas greys come to the ground more readily and are often bolder around people.

If you do see a grey in a red stronghold, note the location, date and a grid reference if you can, and pass it on to your local red squirrel group. Recording grey sightings genuinely helps conservation, and many groups run simple reporting schemes that welcome walkers' observations.

Planning a squirrel-friendly day out

Check before you travel. Reds are absent from much of England, so an hour's drive to a known stronghold is far more productive than hoping for luck in a local copse. Many accessible woodland walks in red areas have trail guides, boardwalks and surfaced paths suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and some have hides — occasionally with one-way glass — that let you watch at close range without causing any disturbance at all.

Pack binoculars, a flask and quiet clothing, set off early, walk slowly, and let the feeding signs lead you. Nothing quite beats the moment when a russet shape comes tumbling along a branch, ear tufts forward, entirely unaware of you.