FIRECREST TOURS : Guided Birdwatching & Wildlife Days

There was an interesting article on the BBC news website a couple of days ago relating to the conviction of Nigel Smith, 60, Head Gamekeeper of the Buckminster Estate on the Leicestershire/Lincoln border (see here). The BBC article is well worth a read for the level of detail it provides, as is this blog and […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK https://ift.tt/2pX4ydk

Press release from OneKind / League Against Cruel Sports / Lush (29/3/18): SHOCKING EXPOSE OF MASS KILLING OF SCOTLAND’S MOUNTAIN HARES Extraordinary footage from an investigation carried out by OneKind, League Against Cruel Sports and Lush has revealed the brutal, military style mass killing of Scotland’s mountain hares on grouse moors. Campaigners supported by Chris […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK https://ift.tt/2GTsUgl

We’ve often blogged about the so-called Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) and how little faith we have in its effectiveness for tackling illegal raptor persecution. One of our biggest criticisms has always been the involvement of some representative groups from the game-shooting industry, who show little sign of actual partnership-working but instead use […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK https://ift.tt/2E3GYAO

Legal proceedings continued today in the case against James Hartley, a gamekeeper from the Bleasdale Estate in Bowland who is accused of a number of offences in relation to the alleged killing of two peregrines in April 2016 (see first court report for details here). Mr Hartley has pleaded not guilty to the alleged offences. A case […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK https://ift.tt/2IYAcjw

Last Friday we published an update on golden eagle Fred, who ‘disappeared’ from the Pentlands on the outskirts of Edinburgh in highly suspicious circumstances in January. There have been some predictable responses from certain quarters who probably expect everyone to believe that this is what happened to Fred (many thanks to @gill_lewis for this brilliant […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK https://ift.tt/2uwniGv

As many of you will know, in August 2016 Environment Cabinet Secretary Roseanna Cunningham ordered a review of golden eagle satellite tag data to see whether there was evidence of “a pattern of suspicious activity” regarding the regular disappearance of sat-tagged golden eagles in Scotland. Scottish Natural Heritage commissioned the review, which was published in […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK https://ift.tt/2I76x6t

RSPB press release (26/3/18) ILLEGAL ACTIVITY UNCOVERED AT GOSHAWK NEST IN NORTH YORK MOORS North Yorkshire Police and the RSPB are appealing for information after several instances of illegal disturbance were recorded at a goshawk nest in North Yorkshire. In spring 2017, a covert camera was trained on a nest with poor breeding success near […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK https://ift.tt/2IUPmGi

RPUK/Chris Packham press release: NEW INFORMATION REVEALS MORE ABOUT GOLDEN EAGLE FRED’S SUSPICIOUS DISAPPEARANCE On 21st January, a GPS satellite tag fitted to a young golden eagle called Fred suddenly and inexplicably stopped sending data close to a grouse moor in the Pentland Hills on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Up until that point the tag […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2pBo0w7

Last week we criticised Cabinet Secretary Fergus Ewing for his apparent failure to speak out on illegal raptor persecution, especially following the news that yet another satellite-tagged golden eagle had ‘disappeared’ from a grouse moor within his constituency; a constituency that has been a hotbed of illegal raptor killing for many, many years. For those […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2HVx5r9

“They can hide the tags. They can hide the bodies. But they can’t hide the pattern” (Dr Hugh Webster) RSPB press release (21/3/18): RARE HEN HARRIER GOES MISSING IN WALES North Wales Police and the RSPB are appealing for information following the disappearance of a satellite-tagged hen harrier near Wrexham. The harrier, named Aalin, was […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2puYtF4

From North Wales Police Rural Crime Team: Advertisements Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2G1HT6s

Press release from Police Scotland / Cairngorms National Park Authority (16 March 2018): WILDLIFE SPECIAL CONSTABLES TAKE UP DUTIES IN CAIRNGORMS An initiative to tackle wildlife crime in the Cairngorms was launched today when the first Police Scotland Special Constables to tackle wildlife and rural issues within Cairngorms National Park formally took up their duties. […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2u5huDq

Four days ago we blogged about the ‘disappearance’ of yet another satellite-tagged golden eagle, the 12th eagle in seven years to vanish in suspicious circumstances in this particular area managed for driven grouse shooting. Here are some of the responses: Environment Cabinet Secretary Roseanna Cunningham – This golden eagle has disappeared in an area which has […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2plDWT8

From North Star News, 16 March 2018: WALKERS WARNED BY POLICE AFTER DEATH OF A DOG IN MUIR OF ORD AREA THE death of a dog has prompted a police probe and sparked a warning to members of the public to avoid walking in an area of Muir of Ord. Police said this afternoon that acting on information […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2pk9F7r

Police Scotland is to start reviewing the social media accounts and domestic abuse history of applicants for firearms licences, a new HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) report has revealed. Inspectors identified that online activity is a key source of information when deciding whether someone is suitable to own a gun. Amazingly, social media […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2FJ4MiY

Legal proceedings continued at Preston Magistrates Court yesterday in the case against gamekeeper Timothy David Cowin, 44, who is alleged to have shot two protected short-eared owls in April 2017 at Whernside, Cumbria in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is further alleged he was in possession of items (a shotgun and an electronic calling […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2FEHRp8

Legal proceedings continued yesterday in the case against James Hartley, a gamekeeper from the Bleasdale Estate in Bowland who is accused of a number of offences in relation to the alleged killing of two peregrines in April 2016 (see first court report for details here). Mr Hartley has pleaded not guilty to the alleged offences. Yesterday’s case […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2pfvRA4

“They can hide the bodies. They can hide the tags. But they can’t hide the pattern” (Dr Hugh Webster) RSPB Press release: ANOTHER SATELLITE-TAGGED GOLDEN EAGLE ‘DISAPPEARS’ IN INVERNESS-SHIRE Conservationists are concerned about the safety of a young pair of eagles after news emerged that another satellite-tagged golden eagle has disappeared in the northern Monadhliath […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2FxaO6t

As many of you will know, part of DEFRA’s ludicrous Hen Harrier Action Plan is the proposed reintroduction (not really a reintroduction) of hen harriers to southern England. We know, through a series of FoIs, that Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire is the currently proposed reintroduction site and the proposed start date is 2018. We also […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2p4vE2P

SENIOR CAMPAIGNER (GROUSE MOORS) Organisation: The League Against Cruel Sports Salary: £28,000 Full time position Closing date: 26 March 2018 Location: Edinburgh – some home working may be possible ROLE: The League Against Cruel Sports is a leading UK charity that works to expose and end the cruelty inflicted on animals in the name of […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2IjLWg8

Last year the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority opened a consultation to find out what issues the general public would like to see addressed by the Park’s latest five-year management plan (2018-2023). The results were clear – visitors and residents of the National Park raised serious concerns about illegal raptor persecution and land management, with […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2InRYfW

Two weeks ago we blogged about a motion raised by Edinburgh Councillor Chas Booth (Scottish Greens) calling on Edinburgh City Council to take action in response to the highly suspicious disapearance of golden eagle Fred in the Pentland Hills (see here). Last week we blogged about an attempt by Tim (Kim) Baynes, Director of the […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2FGmeDX

In January this year, Natural England issued a licence to Jemima Parry-Jones (International Centre for Birds of Prey, Newent, Glos) permitting the controversial removal of hen harrier eggs and chicks from some nests on grouse moors in Northern England, to protect artificially-high stocks of red grouse being farmed for shooting. The licence permits the ICBP […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2twRQak

Two and a half weeks ago the RSPB launched its new, confidential Raptor Crime Hotline (0300-999-0101) to help whistle-blowers within the shooting industry come forward about bird of prey persecution. We thought it’d be interesting to see how many members of the Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group (RPPDG) were actively promoting this initiative, because part […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2Fy0fPL

Periodically there are synchronised national surveys for a number of raptor species in the UK, which help to build a picture of national and regional population trends. In 2014 a national peregrine survey was undertaken, to follow up on the previous survey completed in 2002. The results of the 2014 survey were published yesterday in […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2FzPBbm

Regular blog readers will remember the mass poisoning of birds of prey on the Stody Estate, Norfolk in 2013. In October 2014, Stody Estate gamekeeper Allen Lambert was convicted of a series of wildlife crime offences on the estate, including the mass poisoning of birds of prey (10 buzzards and one sparrowhawk) which had been […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2FXy4ra

The RSPB’s Investigations Team is recruiting for an Assistant Investigations Officer to work in the uplands of northern England with a special focus on the illegal persecution of hen harriers. This is a fantastic opportunity to join an elite team of field investigators working on the front line of raptor conservation. A full job description […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2FXrZLg

The criminals within the game-shooting industry are deeply concerned about what might be revealed by the police investigation in to the highly suspicious disappearance of our satellite-tagged golden eagle Fred. The following was posted on the BASC facebook page today and has since been doing the rounds on social media, accompanied by various defamatory accusations […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2CY3OJK

Blimey, where did the years go? Thanks to all of you who’ve been with us since the start, literally sharing our goal of raising more awareness, and welcome to all those who’ve joined us along the way. We’re often asked how we measure the failure or success of this blog. It’s almost impossible to answer […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2H3fe17

And so it continues. Joint press release today from RSPB and Durham Police: YET ANOTHER RARE HEN HARRIER GOES MISSING Durham Constabulary and the RSPB are appealing for information following the disappearance of a satellite-tagged hen harrier near Middleton-in-Teesdale. The harrier, named Marc, was one of a nest of two chicks tagged as part of […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2CP011h

Last week we blogged about a motion being put forward to Edinburgh City Council’s Transport & Environment Committee by Scottish Greens Councillor Chas Booth, calling for action after the highly suspicious disappearance of golden eagle Fred in the Pentland Hills (see here). To recap, here is the text of that motion: 1 March 2018 Green […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2F0B88I