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Waves of Winter Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus)

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Waxwing on Rowan Ash. Today we led a tour targeting a single species - Waxwings - a species on David, Lee & Jeff's most wanted lists. With the day centered around the Tring area of Hertfordshire & the Buckinghamshire border we visited likely spots with good berry crops, primarily the Waxwings' favorite - Rowan/Mountain Ash, but also Hawthorn, one of the Waxwings' fall-back foodsources which is widespread across the area. The day was a great success starting with up to 40 Waxwings affording fantastic views & photo opportunities for all as they sporadically came in to feed on Rowan berries at one site, then 43 birds feeding on Hawthorn berries at another site, plus a bonus 10 at a third location - as you can imagine, the guys were thrilled as the Waxwings trilled! Here are a few photos I took to share with the guys as a memento of the day, though all three took some cracking photos of their own too. Waxwing warming-up in the winter sun. Waxwings resting & pree...
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Raptor Persecution UK: Question tabled in House of Lords on gamebird shooting industry’s failure to stop using toxic lead ammunition

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Last week a new scientific study was published, led by eminent researchers from the University of Cambridge, showing that three years into a five-year pledge to completely phase out lead shot in UK game hunting, 94% of pheasants on sale for human consumption were killed using toxic lead ammunition (see here). The continued use of … Continue reading "Question tabled in House of Lords on gamebird shooting industry’s failure to stop using toxic lead ammunition" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/FafSUZD
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Raptor Persecution UK: More detail provided on why key conservation organisations were excluded from Scottish Government’s review on increasing SSPCA powers

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Last month I wrote about how a number of key conservation and animal welfare organisations had apparently been excluded from submitting evidence to the Scottish Government’s independent review on whether the Scottish SPCA should be given increased powers to enable them to investigate a wider suite of wildlife crimes (see here). A Freedom of Information … Continue reading "More detail provided on why key conservation organisations were excluded from Scottish Government’s review on increasing SSPCA powers" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/vfZD36T
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Raptor Persecution UK: National Trust terminates another grouse-shooting lease after more evidence of suspected wildlife crime in Peak District National Park

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The National Trust (NT) has terminated another grouse-shooting lease in the Peak District National Park after the RSPB uncovered evidence of suspected wildlife crime on one of the NT’s tenanted grouse moors. The shooting lease, on NT moorland at Park Hall, was held by a nearby grouse shooting estate called the Hurst & Chunal. It … Continue reading "National Trust terminates another grouse-shooting lease after more evidence of suspected wildlife crime in Peak District National Park" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/ShBDkEd
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Raptor Persecution UK: New study shows pheasants still full of poisonous lead shot three years after start of ‘voluntary transition’ to non-toxic shot

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Three years ago in February 2020, nine UK game-shooting organisations made a massive U-turn after years and years and years of defending the use of toxic lead ammunition, and said they wanted to drag the industry into the 21st Century by making a five-year voluntary transition away from lead ammunition (see here). A lot of us … Continue reading "New study shows pheasants still full of poisonous lead shot three years after start of ‘voluntary transition’ to non-toxic shot" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/kXWEot5
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Raptor Persecution UK: ‘SNP leadership race is perfect opportunity to tackle land (& grouse moor) reform’ – comment piece by Max Wiszniewski

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Max Wiszniewski is Campaign Manager for REVIVE, the coalition for grouse moor reform. He’s written a comment piece for today’s edition of the National, discussing the current SNP leadership race which Max thinks is a perfect opportunity to tackle land (and grouse moor) reform. His article is reproduced below: THE leadership election for the Scottish … Continue reading "‘SNP leadership race is perfect opportunity to tackle land (& grouse moor) reform’ – comment piece by Max Wiszniewski" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/1no7cf3
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Raptor Persecution UK: Dorset landowner cleared of assaulting gamekeeper & beater after argument over low number of gamebirds available to be shot

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There’s been widespread media coverage of a court case at Weymouth Magistrates this week, which mostly focused on a ‘frustrated’ landowner, William Elder, throwing a dead partridge at his gamekeeper, Daniel Burden, and the gamekeeper throwing it back at his boss, after an argument about whether paying guests had been given the best opportunity to … Continue reading "Dorset landowner cleared of assaulting gamekeeper & beater after argument over low number of gamebirds available to be shot" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/HA2xz1W
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