Tom Bowser (Argaty, Doune, Perthshire)
Tom Bowser: A sky full of kites
The speaker at the meeting of the Society on Dec 1st 2022 was Tom Bowser, from Argaty farm in Stirlingshire, who gave a talk entitled ‘A Skyfull of Kites’, which was accompanied by some excellemt wildlife images.
Tom started by explaining how his love affair with the red kite began back in 1996, when one appeared over Argaty, which was then being farmed by Tom’s parents. He started by describing the chequered history of the red kite in Britain: in the middle ages it was common, even in towns, and was regarded favourably as it helped to keep towns and the countryside clean by removing carrion. But in the 19th century it began to be persecuted due to the widespread availability of shotguns, and the growth of grouse shooting estates, where it was considered (incorrectly) to be a threat to the gamebirds. Numbers dwindled, and by the early 20th century it became extinct in England and Scotland, although a tiny population survived in Wales.
In 1986 a reintroduction scheme was started in Britain, using young birds from continental Europe, and it was from one such scheme in Scotland that Tom’s crucial 1996 bird appeared. From thereon he was determined to ensure that kites colonised the area around the farm at Argaty. Some birds were introduced there, and after his parents retired he focussed farm activities on wildlife conservation, with red kites as the centrepiece. There are now around 150 pairs in the Argaty area, and the farm has become a major wildlife attraction. The movements of the birds can be traced using satellite tag markers, though this sadly reveals that some birds are still ‘disappearing’ in the proximity of grouse moors.
In the second part of his talk Tom turned his attention to his latest project, the reintroduction of beavers to Argaty. Beavers are known from archaeological evidence to have inhabited Scotland in the past, though when they became extinct is unclear – probably between the 12th and 16th century, when they were hunted for their meat and fur. Beavers reappeared in central Scotland in recent years, due probably to unauthorised releases of animals and/or escapes from a wildlife park.
Unlike the kites, beaver reintroduction is controversial, with farmers in particular being concerned about damage to agricultural land due to their dam-building activities, and the Scottish Government has, to its shame, allowed culling of beavers if they are thought to be causing damage, with little or no evidence required in order that a culling licence may be issued. Fortunately Tom, with the help of local people and wildlife agencies, has been successful in getting the Government to allow the first transfer of beavers from nearby agricultural land to his own land, rather than issue a culling licence. The animals were transferred in December 2021, and during the summer drought of 2022 the beavers successfully prevented his water courses from drying out. Although Tom has lost the friendship of many of his neighbouring farmers he has received much support from the wider community, and is hopeful that the Argaty beavers will be as successful and popular as the red kites.