WILDLIFE watchers are being encouraged to keep an eye out for squirrels in Helensburgh and Lomond and report their findings as part of an area-wide project.
Nature organisation Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is asking locals to look for red and grey squirrels in their neighbourhood in order to gain a clearer picture of what’s happening on the ground in the Argyll, the Trossachs and Stirlingshire project area.
The team are particularly interested in squirrel sightings recorded on the Rosneath Peninsula, and anyone who spots the animals is asked to log it at scottishsquirrels.org.uk/squirrel-sightings.
In December the Advertiser reported that local red squirrel sightings were on the rise, confirming their presence where they haven’t been seen before.
READ MORE: Red squirrels on the rise near Helensburgh, says survey
Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels had record participation in its national squirrel survey, which ran last September, and the native creatures were spotted on more than one occasion between Dumbarton and Helensburgh, just north of Cardross.
Further sightings were recorded in Garelochhead, around Arrochar and on the Rosneath peninsula.
A total of 548 grey squirrel and 2,612 red squirrel sightings were reported, and sightings suggest that Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park remains a red-only zone.
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