Red squirrel sightings on the rise after storm

Sightings of red squirrels have more than doubled on an estate, five years after their habitats were destroyed in Storm Arwen.

The population at Wallington, near Morpeth, took a hit during the 2021 storm, with sightings rare for a number of years after.

But rangers have recorded 37 individual sightings on the Northumberland estate so far in 2026, compared to just 16 for the whole of 2025.

Lead ranger, Helen McDonald, said the success has been possible due to increased grey squirrel control as well as managing the woodland on site.

McDonald said the grey squirrel population began to thrive after Storm Arwen because they can survive in a "more diverse range of woodland", so the team had to focus on controlling their numbers.

The team has removed 225 non-native grey squirrels this year, compared to 170 by this time last year, which McDonald said was contributing to the red squirrels' success.

"Sadly it's the only way, there's no way of catching and relocating grey squirrels, that's against the law," McDonald said.

A juvenile red squirrel was also spotted recently, meaning the population are successfully breeding.

"We're over the moon," McDonald said.

"Nobody enjoys the grey squirrel control and the culling, it's just something we have to do.

"But to see that it is making a difference and we could see the red squirrels coming back, that really helped and gave everyone a boost."

Looking towards the future, McDonald said the team were looking to plant new woodlands with species which will provide food for the red squirrels.

There is also the possibility of the team encouraging pine martens from the surrounding area onto the estate, as they are a natural controller of grey squirrels.

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