FIRECREST TOURS : Guided Birdwatching & Wildlife Days

Natural England has just issued a licence for someone to kill up to ten buzzards “to prevent serious damage to young pheasants”. Here is their statement: 29 July 2016 Natural England issued a licence last night permitting the control of up to 10 buzzards to prevent serious damage to young pheasants. The licence is time-limited […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2ah4odl

Earlier this year, the Bowland Brewery in Lancashire committed to donate a proportion of the proceeds from the sale of its Hen Harrier beer to the RSPB’s hen harrier conservation projects (see press statement here). James Warburton, owner of Bowland Brewery said: “The hen harrier is a living symbol of Bowland Brewery’s intimate connection with […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2a4mMAq

Following yesterday’s news that the RSPB has walked away from the Hen Harrier Inaction Plan (see here), the grouse shooting industry has responded. Statement from the Moorland Association here Statement from BASC here Statement from the Countryside Alliance here Here are the comedy highlights but you really should read the statements in full to appreciate […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2at9tyu

The RSPB has decided to ‘withdraw its support for DEFRA’s Hen Harrier Action Plan’. See Conservation Director Martin Harper’s blog here for the full explanation. This is very welcome news – well done RSPB! Some will say the RSPB should never have supported it in the first place (and we’d be in that camp). The […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2ar3qKw

The following words and images are from Jean Thorpe, a lady who runs Ryedale Wildlife Rehabilitation in North Yorkshire: “Juvenile buzzard found at Westerdale, North Yorkshire grouse moors [in the North York Moors National Park], with a leg missing. Put to sleep, x-rayed, shotgun shot in the leg. This young bird barely out of the […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2a6GoXh

In the run up to the Inglorious 12th (the opening of the grouse-shooting season on 12 August), you’ll be able to watch a series of videos hosted by Chris Packham about the #NotSoGlorious damaging management practices associated with the driven grouse shooting industry. Episode one (an introduction to driven grouse shooting) can be watched here. […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2a3Pln0

Following the news that illegally-set spring traps were found on a grouse moor on Invercauld Estate in the Cairngorms National Park (see here), the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association has issued a statement. Are you ready for this? SGA STATEMENT: SPRING TRAPS, DEESIDE. A Spokesman for The Scottish Gamekeepers Association said: “This is the first we, as […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2a7VGfP

In relation to this morning’s news (here) that illegally-set traps have been discovered on a grouse moor on Invercauld Estate in the Cairngorms National Park, the following statement from Invercauld Estate has just appeared on GWCT’s twitter feed: This is staggering! In one paragraph the estate is denying that this crime ever happened, but then […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2a0zbon

Further to today’s news that illegally-set traps have been found on a grouse moor on Invercauld Estate in the Cairngorms National Park (see here), we are interested in the SSPCA’s role in this investigation. As you’ll recall, RSPB Scotland notified the SSPCA about the severely injured gull caught by both legs in two spring traps. […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2af8uR5

RSPB Scotland has today issued a press statement about the discovery of illegally-set traps found on a Royal Deeside grouse moor in the Cairngorms National Park (see here). On 27 June 2016, two members of the public found a Common Gull that had been caught by the legs in two spring traps that had been […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2alv9fB

The Angus Glens Moorland Group, part of the grouse shooting industry’s ludicrous propaganda campaign The Gift of Grouse, has been on a charm offensive. They’ve recently hosted visits for three MSPs, who’ve all been taken for a ride across the Angus Glens grouse moors. The idea, presumably, was to depict grouse moor management techniques in […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2a97ei8

Back in June we blogged about a ‘Scarey Man Birdscarer’ that had been filmed on a grouse moor in the Angus Glens (see here). Here’s another one, filmed approximately a mile away from the first one, also in June. (Thanks to the contributor who sent these videos). And just in case these weren’t enough to […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2a8Fqti

Criminal proceedings continued on 15 July 2016 against landowner Andrew Walter Bryce Duncan, who is alleged to be vicariously liable for the crimes committed by gamekeeper William (Billy) Dick in April 2014. Gamekeeper Dick was convicted in August 2015 of killing a buzzard on the Newlands Estate, Dumfriesshire by striking it with rocks and repeatedly […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2a976xS

The National Trust for Scotland is celebrating the rare success of a hen harrier nest on its Mar Lodge Estate in the Cairngorms National Park – see press release here. For the first time in decades, four chicks have been produced. This is a fantastic result and all credit to the estate managers of this […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2a3hCaj

In the run up to the Inglorious 12th (the opening of the grouse-shooting season on 12 August), you’ll be able to watch a series of videos hosted by Chris Packham about the #NotSoGlorious damaging management practices associated with the driven grouse shooting industry. Here’s episode 1: Over 60,000 people have joined Chris and signed the […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2a0qDAU

There’s a great new blog that’s well worth following: UPLAND EXPOSURE Written by two professional ecologists, the blog offers an insight to the grim reality of upland management in the Scottish Highlands, and has already provided evidence of the disgraceful ‘management’ practices of driven grouse moors, including the erection of mountain hare-proof fences across the […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/29MsfBm

In April 2016 we blogged about a Scottish gamekeeper who was appealing his conviction for killing a buzzard (here). In August 2015, gamekeeper William (Billy) Dick, now 26, was found guilty of killing a buzzard on the Newlands Estate, Dumfriesshire, in April 2014. Two witnesses had observed him striking the buzzard with rocks and then […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/29LqYaN

Criminal proceedings continued at Elgin Sheriff Court yesterday against Scottish gamekeeper Stanley Gordon. Mr Gordon, 60, of Cabrach, Moray, is facing charges in connection with the alleged shooting of a hen harrier in June 2013. The case continued without plea and the next hearing will be 11 August 2016. Previous blogs on this case here and […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/29JihfL

When we said the other day (here) that the grouse-shooting industry was seriously rattled by Chris Packham’s video about Marks and Spencer’s decision to sell red grouse, we underestimated their fury. Here’s the video again, in case you haven’t seen it: Yesterday, four organisations (BASC, Countryside Alliance, Moorland Association and the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation) united […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/29GCkwQ

Two days ago, Chris Packham sent a video message to Marks & Spencer about their decision to sell red grouse in their stores this year. If you missed it, here it is again: Some from within the grouse-shooting community have responded, and they are rattled. Seriously rattled. We’ve read hundreds of messages on social media, […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/29zamjf

A new petition has just been launched calling for the Scottish Government to introduce a State-regulated licensing scheme for all gamebird hunting in Scotland. The petition has been lodged by the Scottish Raptor Study Group and already has the backing of RSPB Scotland (see here) and the Scottish Wildlife Trust (see here). Background information about […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/29LHoCi

Following the news earlier this week (here) that Marks & Spencer is planning to sell red grouse in its stores this year, Chris Packham has a message for them: Please sign the e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting HERE Watch out for more videos about driven grouse shooting…..to be released over the next couple of […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/29r6EZs

This looks like it’ll be fun. The programme includes some interesting speakers with equally ‘interesting’ presentation titles. We’re particularly looking forward to: Stephen Murphy (Natural England): Hen Harrier Population Dynamics. Stephen has been given a 30 minute slot to explain that when hen harriers are illegally killed on grouse moors, their population disintegrates to virtual […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/29H36qX

On 1 June 2016 we blogged about the Mossdale Estate gamekeeper who had been caught on film setting illegal pole traps on a grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here). Also on 1 June 2016, we blogged about North Yorkshire Police’s decision to issue this criminal with a caution rather than refer him to […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/29izhMF

Further to the news about the mass poisoning of raptors uncovered on the Glanusk Estate in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales (see here), we wanted to find out whether the Estate had incurred a financial penalty for what appears to be a clear breach of cross compliance rules. In order to qualify for Common […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/29dHilW

Following on from yesterday’s blog about the Glanusk Estate statement on the illegal mass poisoning of raptors on their land (here), the Glanusk Estate trustees have issued a further statement: A couple of things jumped out at us: “The incident involves a third party to Glanusk Estate and is nothing to do with the Management […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/29g3M3q

Following yesterday’s blog (here) about the mass illegal poisoning of birds of prey on the Glanusk Estate within the Brecon Beacons National Park, the Estate has issued a statement, probably as a measure to placate the organisers of the Green Man Festival (held annually in the Estate grounds) as we know those festival organisers have […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/29ayYjh