FIRECREST TOURS : Guided Birdwatching & Wildlife Days

The three-day-long British Birdfair takes place annually at Rutland Water in August and attracts thousands of visitors from around the world. Every year, Chris Packham is given a prime time Saturday morning slot in the huge Events marquee, to talk about whatever he likes. This year, Chris used his slot to highlight the ongoing work […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2zisBus

The ability for SNH to impose a General Licence (GL) restriction order on land where there is evidence of raptor persecution taking place came in to force on 1 January 2014. This measure, based on a civil burden of proof, was introduced by then Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse in response to the continuing difficulties of […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2hoqbQr

Congratulations to the newly-crowned King of Bollocks, Ian Botham. Here’s his acceptance speech. Here’s why he’s talking bollocks. Here’s the King of Bollocks celebrating his coronation with You Forgot the Birds Board Directors George & Zippy Advertisements Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2lmZG2l

“I couldn’t let those words go to waste“, writes 15 year old Findlay Wilde. If you want to know what he’s talking about, and how you can get involved, have a read of Finn’s blog HERE Advertisements Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2iEYFBF

The Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association is today complaining about an alleged escalation in the vandalism of animal traps on shooting estates. This supposed increase has been attributed to ‘activists’ and the SGA wants the law tightened up so that the alleged perpertrators can be prosecuted. There’s widespread media coverage about it today e.g. in The National […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2i8rR01

Two days ago we blogged about how Natural England has delayed the release of information about the proposed reintroduction of hen harriers to southern England (see here). Today, we’re blogging about how Natural England has delayed the release of information about the proposed hen harrier brood meddling scheme. Anyone seeing a pattern emerging here? So, […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2zQsQKp

Humberside Police are appealing for information after the discovery of a dead sparrowhawk ‘with injuries consistent with being shot with a shotgun’. It is suspected to have been killed on or around 16th October 2017 near to the quarry and Boyes Lane in Keyingham, East Yorkshire. Anyone with information is asked to contact Humberside Police […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2xo0eGT

Two months ago we learned that Natural England could no longer use the long-held excuse of an impending PhD submission as reason to withhold hen harrier satellite tag data (see here) so we started to ask for the release of these 15-year-old data. Many blog readers also took the time to contact Natural England about […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2z5Nb1b

One of the six action points in DEFRA’s Hen Harrier Inaction Plan is to ‘reintroduce’ hen harriers to southern England: As regular blog readers will know, finding out information about this ‘let’s divert attention from illegal persecution on driven grouse moors’ scheme has been as difficult as finding breeding hen harriers on driven grouse moors. Natural England […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2i0Ymgu

Earlier this month the Scottish Parliament’s Environment Committee met to discuss progress on the Scottish Raptor Study Group’s petition calling for licensing of all gamebird hunting. The Committee agreed to write to Cabinet Secretary Roseanna Cunningham for a ‘detailed update’ on the proposals she announced back in May 2017, which included setting up an independently-led […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2xjED23

Last week we blogged about a North Yorkshire Police search for a satellite-tagged hen harrier that had ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (see here). We asked Natural England, on Twitter, when they would be making a statement about this. They didn’t respond. So we emailed them. Here’s the response: […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2yBQFrr

There are a number of estates whose names crop up with depressing regularity on this blog, usually for all the wrong reasons. Glen Tanar Estate isn’t one of them. We have written about this estate over the years (e.g. here, here, here), as have others (e.g. here, here, here) but we’ve only ever had good […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2gTfYeB

Last week we discovered that SNH had reported to the EU Commission in 2013 that the mountain hare was in ‘Favourable Conservation Status’ (see here). This startling revelation was revealed after a Parliamentary question from Scottish Greens MSP Alison Johnstone. We wanted to know more detail about how SNH had made its assessment, and it […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2kV0qeP

You’ve got to hand it to Tim (Kim) Baynes, spokesman for the Scottish Moorland Group / Scottish Land & Estates / Gift of Grouse, his ability to spin even the worst of the grouse-shooting industry’s excesses is becoming legendary (e.g. see here, here, here). He’d probably even give Amanda Anderson (Moorland Association) a run for […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2zcfA1H

North Yorkshire Police have today been searching an unnamed grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park for a ‘missing’ satellite-tagged hen harrier: Here’s a map of Craven District in North Yorkshire (outlined in red), covering part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and nestled inbetween the Bowland and Nidderdale Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2xGIdI5

Following the news on Friday that ten conservation and outdoor organisations have renewed a joint call on the Scottish Government to provide greater protection for mountain hares (see here), Scottish Green Party MSP Alison Johnstone has now lodged a Parliamentary motion calling for ‘urgently required’ action: Motion S5M-08225: Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green Party, Date lodged: […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2zr2wXa

RSPB press release: MOUNTAIN HARE CULLS CONTINUE DESPITE A PERIOD OF “VOLUNTARY RESTRAINT” SAYS SCOTTISH WILDLIFE ORGANISATIONS A coalition of ten environmental and outdoor organisations have repeated their appeal to the Scottish Government to introduce urgent safeguards for mountain hare populations. The group (1) is asking for a temporary ban on all mountain hare culling on grouse […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2zlnIh5

For anyone who might be curious…. This podcast was recorded last week (thanks to Charlie Moores, digital media producer at LUSH). To listen, please click HERE Advertisements Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2geck23

Last month, Alison Johnstone MSP lodged a series of parliamentary questions relating to the conservation status of mountain hares (see here), including this one: Question S5W-11180: Alison Johnstone, Lothian, Scotish Green Party. Date lodged: 8/9/2017. To ask the Scottish Government what reports it has made to the EU Commission in the last 10 years regarding […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2ya5YYa

The reputation of North Yorkshire as a raptor persecution hotspot is well known. Here’s yet another victim to add to the long, long list…. This buzzard was found injured at Dunnington (a village to the east of York) on 29 September 2017. It was taken to the vets where an x-ray revealed shotgun pellets lodged […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2xvazEU

Police are appealing for information after the discovery of a shot peregrine on the outskirts of Cambridge. The young bird was discovered injured on 18 September 2017 and was reported to the Raptor Foundation. A veterinary x-ray revealed a pellet from an air rifle lodged in its shoulder and a metal fragment also lodged in […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2xpZB3v

Last month we blogged about how Natural England is continuing to withhold information about the last known locations of 43 hen harriers that were satellite-tagged between 2007 – 2017 and that are listed by Natural England as ‘Missing, fate unknown’. Natural England’s explanation for what might have happened to these ‘missing’ hen harriers included a […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2yte0w7

The BBC’s Inside Out programme last night featured an excellent piece on driven grouse shooting and its association with illegal raptor persecution in the Peak District National Park. If you missed it, it’s available to watch on BBC iPlayer here for the next 29 days. There were some great quotes, that we’ll record here for […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2xVrEGA

As mentioned on yesterday’s blog (here), the Scottish Parliament’s Environment Committee met this morning and discussed progress on Logan Steele’s petition (on behalf of the Scottish Raptor Study Group) calling for the introduction of a licensing scheme for gamebird hunting. The discussion was over in a flash and the Committee agreed to keep the petition […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2xVhVzY

Persistence is a beautiful thing…. Gavin Gamble has lodged a new epetition on the UK Government website calling for a ban on driven grouse shooting [in England]: Gavin has also set up a website to provide further background reading on this issue – here Mark Avery blogged about the imminent launch of this new petition […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2xLJ4Gr

The Scottish Parliament’s Environment, Climate Change & Land Reform (ECCLR) Committee will meet tomorrow to discuss progress on the petition calling for the introduction of state-regulated licensing for gamebird hunting. As you know, this petition was lodged with the Public Petitions Committee in the summer of 2016 by Logan Steele, on behalf of the Scottish […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2xKaoEX

Tonight’s BBC’s Inside Out programme will feature an investigation in to raptor persecution that’s taking place in the Peak District National Park. This is a regional programme (BBC East Midlands) starting at 7.30pm but will be available on iPlayer shortly afterwards (see here). To coincide with this programme, the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has today called […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2g40i7I

Press release from Hertfordshire Police, 26 September 2017: Officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Rural Operational Support Team (ROST) are appealing for witnesses and information after a buzzard was found seriously injured. The bird was found by a member of the public on a track leading off Ledgemore Lane, Great Gaddesden, Hemel Hemstead on Wednesday September 6th […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2ygO8mG