River sightings spark beaver home survey
Researchers will study activity
Efforts are underway to find out if any beavers have established a home in rivers and water courses across land surrounding Stirling
Scottish Natural Heritage is carrying out a survey following a detailed a list of beaver sightings in and around the area.
The new survey will give researchers the chance to study places where beaver sightings have recently been reported but not confirmed.
These include the River Devon, the Balvaig and Garbh Uisge upstream of Callander, the Forth in the Carse of Stirling and the Black Water around Brig O’Turk.
The most recent reported sighting in 2017 was from a farm on a tributary just off the main stem of the Forth near Kippen, where beaver activity was first noted in 2014 when photographs of gnawed saplings were sent to SNH.
SNH have visited the site this year, and given the owners advice on protecting trees.
The current level of beaver activity in that area is low and they couldn’t determine from the evidence on this site if beavers were resident in the area.
There is evidence of light feeding along the riverbank, some burrowing and short trails made by a foraging animal.
There have also been beaver field signs in the Blackwater Marshes, Achray and Brig O’ Turk area, seen in March 2016 and November 2016.
A beaver that was videoed by a kayaker in 2012 at the Falls of Leny is believed to have ended up in the disused gravel quarry at the Teith/ Keltie confluence near Callander where it resided until at least 2013.
The SNH survey in 2012 also found beaver field signs in the Balvag, near Balquhidder. Elsewhere in the Stirling area, there is confirmed activity in 2016 in the River Devon.
An SNH spokeswoman said :”It is possible that the origins of all these sightings are related and may include the same animal or animals. We have either had sightings reported or people have reported signs of beaver activity.
“We don’t have evidence of beaver families in these areas, but the survey will hopefully determine if there are any resident families or single beavers.”
Ian Jardine, SNH’s chief executive, added: “The survey will give us up-to-date information about the geographic range of beavers in and around Tayside. This will help us work with farmers and other land managers who may be affected.”
SNH has designed the project and awarded the contract to an experienced team led by the University of Exeter, and involving specialists based in Scotland and England. SNH is also appealing to the public to record any sightings through the Mammal Tracker app available free from the iTunes App Store and Android Market.
The survey will take place throughout spring 2017 and cover the beavers’ range in east-central Scotland.
In February we reported that suggestions beavers could be introduced into the Aberfoyle area had prompted concern about the their possible impact on agriculture .