Cameras capture the growth of Galloway’s white marten population

An increase in marten numbers has been caught on camera in Galloway Forest Park.

Thermal imaging technology trials capture the occupancy rate of more than 100 den boxes installed to help increase numbers.

It allows remote monitoring of the pine marten and their offspring – called kits – without disturbing them.

Wildlife cameras can then be installed in occupied roost boxes to capture and study any subsequent movements.

The figures show that since the introduction of the boxes, there has been an increase in their use since monitoring began in 2016.

The number of positive checks has increased as follows:

Thermal imaging trials have been taking place for the past year.

They led to footage being captured on wildlife cameras installed by the Dumfries and Galloway Pine Marten Group showing kits moving about four weeks away from their mother.

They were led one by one to a den site closer to ground level so they were less likely to be injured as they became more mobile.

Kim Kirkbride, environmental forester at Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), said: “Using the non-invasive thermal imaging camera allows us to remotely monitor how many dens are being used without disturbing the occupants.

“We can determine if pine marten populations are increasing and if they are breeding successfully.

“Pine martens are an important factor in gray squirrel control.”

She said other control measures are still needed, but den boxes should play a role in helping red squirrels survive.

The pine marten is known to naturally prey on squirrels and prefer gray over red squirrels, as grays appear to be slower moving and less wary and therefore easier to catch.

This in turn helps red squirrels, which are threatened by the growing number of grays that can carry a squirrel distemper that is fatal to reds.

FLS hopes to use the same technology elsewhere in Scotland to help monitor the pine marten both locally and nationally.

Ms Kirkbride said the introduction of dens had given martens “suitable breeding grounds” while work continued to create “optimal habitat” for them.

“Using thermal imaging to check pine marten boxes has dramatically reduced the amount of disturbance caused to martens at a particularly sensitive time of year when they breed,” she explained.

“While thermal imaging does not positively identify what is using the boxes, it does give us an indication of whether the box is being used.”

“We can then put up wildlife cameras to monitor the activity and hopefully get footage of a pine marten using the boxes and, more excitingly, confirm breeding.”

She said a previous survey in 2014 estimated that 18 pine martens were present in one of the forest blocks managed by FLS, and after the establishment of dens that increased to 32 by 2017.

“While these figures cannot specifically indicate the increase in day boxes allowing for expansion, you can quite clearly see an increase happening within Galloway Forest Park,” she said.

Footage from this year has captured the relocation of kits, which bodes well for the future – not only for the pine marten, but also for the protection of red squirrels in an area where they are constantly threatened.