Pine martens (Martes martes) are experiencing a revival of sorts. Once pushed to refugia on the edges of their normal range through persecution and habitat loss, they are now at the forefront of several conservation projects across the UK. Prior to 2018 pine martens were not a common sight in Northumberland, with their presence being heavily debated. However, in 2018 a pine marten was captured on a camera trap in Kielder Forest. With this we now know that pine martens are definitely present in Northumberland! However, there are still many unanswered questions. How many are there? Where are they? Can I find them in my back garden?

All of these are great questions which we currently don’t know the answer to in Northumberland. Here at Northumberland Wildlife Trust we are keen to know where pine martens are present, including across our own reserves. In the summer of 2024, we planned our very first baseline survey for pine martens. These surveys consisted of placing camera traps in areas thought to be most suitable for pine martens (sites with previous pine marten records or sites with suitable habitat linked with pine marten records), as well as performing scat (poo!) transects. These surveys were self-led by our wonderful volunteers and wouldn’t have been possible without them!

Overall, results from the baseline survey aligned with what was expected. Pine marten footage was captured at a single location in South Kielder. This was unsurprising due to previous pine marten records across the Kielder Forest area. What is perhaps more surprising is the failure to detect pine martens at our sites where they have previously, as they have previously been detected by camera traps in this area. It’s possible that abundant food sources, such as rowan and bilberries, meant pine martens did not have to utilise supplementary food provided by feeders during the survey period. Scat collected during scat transects were assigned confidence scores based on appearance, smell, age, and size. Those with the highest combined confidence score were sent for DNA analysis and all returned as red fox scat. It can be much more difficult to differentiate species when only looking at their poo, especially if they’ve been snacking on similar food.

Our survey suggests pine martens are mainly found in Kielder Forest and are less likely to be present in the more southerly areas of Northumberland. This gives us an excellent baseline to monitor the spread of pine martens across Northumberland, especially in light of several pine marten reintroduction/translocation projects underway which may make their way into Northumberland. Surveys are set to continue in 2025 depending on time and resources available. Surveys during the 2025 season will also see the addition of den boxes, which will hopefully increase pine marten detectability. Keep an eye out for volunteering opportunities this summer!