Slipping out of our grasp

Something is stirring in the depths of the ancient pine forest. As spring creeps north, creatures are emerging from the trees to strut and prowl.

Capercaillie are substantial birds; the males can stand as tall as a traffic cone and it’s hard to imagine how they could ever be overlooked. The reality is that they are also shy and wildly secretive. They will see you long before you see them and they find it easy to sink down and hide in beds of blaeberry and heather.

But as April runs on towards May, this secrecy will fade. Cock birds meet in prearranged clearings to lek and display, and they make for a fine spectacle in the early morning light. Hooked beaks and heavy wings are deployed as weapons and the forest