Douglas Squirrels exhibit wide population fluctuations, somewhat cyclic I've been told. I was struck, probably 7-10 years
ago, by a relative absence of them in many of the areas where I expected to see or hear them. Thankfully, about 4 or 5 years
ago, I started seeing and hearing them virtually everywhere I'd expect them to be. Currently, I believe their numbers
are strong. It's almost certain that their population potential is declining with loss of coniferous and mixed forests. However,
I see or hear them in lots of areas where the habitat is fragmented, in dense suburban settings.

I saw a Northern Shrike at Scatter Creek Wildlife Area last week. There, I mentioned a bird.

Kelly McAllister
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Olympia, Washington
Reply to: mcallkrm at dfw.wa.gov

On Fri, 5 Nov 2004, Diann MacRae wrote:

> Date: Fri, 05 Nov 2004 11:09:19 -0800
> From: Diann MacRae <tvulture at vei.net>
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: [Tweeters] squirrels
>
> Kelly and others,
>
> Are Douglas squirrels really declining or are the areas where they are
> reported to be non-existent just in a less than desirable habitat? Where I
> live it is heavily forested, a high hill (for Bothell), and I am inundated
> with Douglas squirrels. They do get a good supply of peanuts (meant for the
> corvids and varied thrushes, etc.) which keeps them happy. When I moved
> here twenty years ago, they were a novelty; one was really a sighting. Now,
> if I go outside, I can easily see a dozen, at times. Do I just have a
> little pocket of these native squirrels or could they be found in most
> desirable habitats?
>
> While I enjoy all of the wildlife that comes here, the Douglas squirrels a
> couple years ago, chewed through the drier vent area and ran rampant
> through my two-story house while I was at Salt Creek. It tried to get out
> every window in the house, knocked things over, etc., etc., etc. and, of
> course, ate all the peanuts in the kitchen bowl. They can truly be
> devasting indoors, but I suppose that would be the same for any type of
> wild animal.
>
> Sorry to get off birds, but the squirrels are part of our backyard
> ecosystem most places.
>
> Cheers, Diann
> Bothell
> tvulture at vei.net
>