Spring in the Pinewoods: Wildlife Returns and New Fire Bylaw Brings Hope

In the pinewoods, the colours are slowly shifting, the birches to their spring green and the larch roses are blossoming pink. The pair of pied wagtails have returned to our neighbour's shed and the peewits are back on the marshes, though fewer in number (and there are two pairs of crows that maraude their territory). The siskins have returned in numbers, huge skeins of geese have been flying north and the swallows and housemartins are back, earlier than usual, though they are still just passing through – "ours" are not yet here. Over the River Spey I've watched an osprey, here once more to breed, and sand-martins swirling around the banks. The daffodils are still in full bloom, celandine, wood anemones too. This morning a frost had coated the field in white; it shimmered before dissolving in an arc as the early sun rose above the trees, reminding us to hold off planting out our more tender kale and peas until May, however tempting it might be. I've been worried about the red squirrels as I've seen lots more pine martens in recent times, but there was one, scrambling around a granny pine. The air is perforated with the sounds of great spotted woodpeckers, mistle thrushes, willow warblers, and soon the rest of the summer visitors – cuckoos, swifts, redstarts, tree pipits – will arrive to join the chorus. Spring never fails to feel hopeful; for all else that is happening in the world, it is a balm to be here. It's also the time of year that we're encouraged to be mindful of going into the pinewoods. There's the annual Lek It Be campaign to discourage disturbing capercaillies during their annual lek, but also, from 1 April, a new bylaw banning barbecues and campfires has come into effect. This spring, like last, feels dry, and already there's been a wildfire to the north of Aviemore which devastated 600 sq metres of moorland and pinewoods. Last year's fire, further north on Dava Moor which engulfed 11,000 hectares of moorland and killed thousands of animals and birds, is still fresh in our memories. A recent Scottish government wildfire strategic action plan reported 241 wildfires last year, the largest number in recent memory. It warns of climate change "creating conditions in which wildfires can ignite and spread more easily". The new bylaw has had broad support and I welcome it too. I've seen up close what a stray spark can do.