‘SCARERS’ on moors are one of the only legal means left to protect ground-nesting birds from the growing raven population, gamekeepers have claimed.
Gas guns, timed to produce periodic bangs, and inflatable scaring devices, have been used by farmers for many decades, to prevent pigeons and crows from damaging crops. But in the past decade, gamekeepers have deployed them on moors at hatching time to move on flocks of protected ravens.
But conservation charities have recently questioned this practice, claiming they may disturb other protected nesting raptors – a claim that has now been robustly challenged by gamekeepers.
Scottish Gamekeepers Association Chairman Alex Hogg said: “The SGA consistently advocates that land managers need legal tools to be able to manage their ground during times when there are conflicts between species.
“Because licences to protect ground nesting birds are rarely obtained, people have to look at all legal options if they want to protect any economic stock, which is their job, and the other moorland species that home there, such as curlew, that are rapidly disappearing.
“Flocks of ravens can hoover up chicks and eggs" said Mr Hogg. "There may be enough grouse on a moor to be able to sustain such losses, but that is not the case any more with wading birds. If someone did want to apply for a licence to SNH to control them, they would have to prove that they have used all non-lethal alternatives first; alternatives such as these.
“In our view, land managers should be encouraged to deploy deterrents, such as gas guns and scarers, to move ravens on, rather than being criticised.”
Conservation charities have argued that Hen Harriers could potentially be disturbed by gas guns, causing them to attempt to breed elsewhere, a claim gamekeepers described as "mischief making".
Perthshire Gamekeeper Ronnie Kippen said: “If ospreys can nest at T-in-the-Park, with all the noise of a music festival, and peregrines nest in town bell towers, it shows that raptors become de-sensitised to noise.
“Where I work, we use gas guns to protect black grouse and golden plover chicks from ravens. Even then, they only work until the ravens get used to them. We’ve tried everything, shots in the air, shots off rocks in isolated areas, scarers and varying the frequency of bangs on the gas gun, but flocks of ravens still come in and inflict damage. It’s very difficult to deal with, so people need legal tools to work around rare wildlife.”
According to the 2014 BTO Breeding Bird Survey, raven numbers have grown by 40% since 1995. An SNH study of Dotterel nests in East Drumochter showed ravens to be the main cause of nest failure, with 96% of Ptarmigan nests in one year also predated by ravens. The birds will also feed on red and black grouse chicks and the young and eggs of Curlew and other endangered moorland waders.