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Red takeover at Druridge Bay

Forget yesterday’s red takeover in a number of towns and cities across the UK with labour’s local election victories, there’s been a red takeover of a different kind on a nature reserve at Druridge Bay.

For, a cheeky red squirrel has moved itself into a tawny owl nest box on Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Hauxley reserve and barricaded the doorway with sticks to stop the ousted resident from getting back in.

Judging by the sticks poking out the hole, staff on the site believe the squirrel may be building a drey (nest) in which to breed. They won’t know whether breeding has been successful until they see baby squirrels scampering around the site over the summer, but have everything crossed that they do.

Taken over tawny owl box at Hauxley

Taken over tawny owl box at Hauxley. Image: Alex Lister

It isn’t the first time there has been a takeover on the reserve. Last summer, a pair of tawny owls and their three half grown chicks (owlets) took up residence in the playground resulting in it being closed to the public and during the first lockdown in May 2020, three carrion crows tried to break into the Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre’s Lookout Café by pulling out the rubber window seals, taking out huge chunks of wood out the window frames and pulling off the wire netting - installed to stop them.

Taken over tawny owl box at Hauxley

Taken over tawny owl box at Hauxley. Image:  Alex Lister

Alex Lister, Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Druridge Bay Landscape Manager says: “It’s great! There’s never a dull moment up here - from barn owls nesting in our old arson hit building and stopping demolition, tawny owls taking over the playground, a not so shy otter swimming up and down outside the Lookout Café for a week, not to mention turf wars with crows and now the squirrel barricading itself into the tawny owl’s box - who says wildlife isn’t entertaining.”

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