Country diary: Raising my flask to the pine martens | Sean Wood

Galloway Forest, Dumfries and Galloway: They're my favourite British mammal, and a local group is hoping to help numbers by installing dens and trail camerasThe days when pine martens could chase red squirrels from Inverness to Dumfries without touching the ground are long gone. Indeed, martens were extinct from this area until a successful reintroduction 40 years ago.Today, Dumfries and Galloway Pine Marten Group (DGPMG) is doing its bit to help this fragile population by installing 40 bespoke "marten dens" across Galloway forests. The group monitors these wooden boxes using trail cameras, which enable them to detect a heat source inside all year round - especially important in spring when pine marten kits are born, and winter when den boxes are used for shelter. Pine martens would normally prefer large tree cavities for their dens, but such aged trees are scarce here. Continue reading...