Red Squirrels

In urban areas many common species such as the wood frog, ovenbird, or yellow birch, become uncommon to rare. I have often wondered about the status of the red squirrel in Newton. Red squirrels are common in Massachusetts, and tend to favor coniferous or mixed coniferous forests (see Wild Mammals of New England for a good overview). Twice, I have observed road-killed red squirrels on Beacon Street, west of Newton Center (most recently, on 5/7/07). It's a mystery to me where these squirrels were coming from. I have also observed this species at Kennard Conservation Area. Perhaps the red squirrel is more widespread than I think it is? Please report your Newton sightings of this species as a comment to this posting.