FIRECREST TOURS : Guided Birdwatching & Wildlife Days

Press release from Wildlife & Countryside LINK (29th November 2022): Record high wildlife crime levels could be worsened by new Government law, warn wildlife campaigners *Figures collected annually by nature organisations reveal that wildlife crime rates remained stubbornly high in 2021, following record highs in 2020 *Convictions for most wildlife crime types rose in 2021 … Continue reading "Record high wildlife crime levels could be worsened by new legislation, warn wildlife campaigners" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/Y1w52W7

Back in September, Scottish Environment Minister Mairi McAllan was taken to visit a grouse moor in the notorious Strathbraan area of Perthshire. Regular blog readers will know that Strathbraan is dominated by a number of estates with driven grouse moors and the area has been identified in a Government-commissioned report as being a hotspot for raptor persecution, … Continue reading "Scottish Environment Minister visits grouse moor in Strathbraan where two golden eagles ‘disappeared’ in suspicious circumstances" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/SXZotda

Back in September, Scottish Environment Minister Mairi McAllan was taken to visit a grouse moor in the notorious Strathbraan area of Perthshire. Regular blog readers will know that Strathbraan is dominated by a number of estates with driven grouse moors and the area has been identified in a Government-commissioned report as being a hotspot for raptor persecution, … Continue reading "Scottish Environment Minister visits grouse moor in Strathbraan where two golden eagles ‘disappeared’ in suspicious circumstances" from Raptor Persecution UK https://ift.tt/7kUILjO via IFTTT

The avian flu epidemic continues to sweep across the UK and is expected to increase as we head into winter, according to the UK’s Health Security Agency. The situation is so bad that on 7th November 2022, an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone was implemented across the UK, which means that it is currently a legal … Continue reading "Private Eye highlights DEFRA’s inaction on gamebirds in midst of avian flu epidemic" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/6AW39bM

A dead buzzard has been found hanging from a tree in County Down. The bird was discovered last Saturday (19th November 2022) in woodland near Clandeboye on the Ulster Way by independent unionist Alex Easton MLA, who was walking his dog. He notified the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) who sent out a forensic … Continue reading "Dead buzzard found hanging from a tree in County Down" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/CfDgtM6

A dead buzzard has been found hanging from a tree in County Down. The bird was discovered last Saturday (19th November 2022) in woodland near Clandeboye on the Ulster Way by independent unionist Alex Easton MLA, who was walking his dog. He notified the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) who sent out a forensic … Continue reading "Dead buzzard found hanging from a tree in County Down" from Raptor Persecution UK https://ift.tt/ALBtvNF via IFTTT

Last week the RSPB published its latest annual Birdcrime report covering the period Jan – Dec 2021. The headlines from this rigorously-compiled data can be summarised as follows: The RSPB published two press releases about the report – one covering the crimes in England (here) and one covering the crimes in Scotland (here). In 2021, … Continue reading "RSPB’s 2021 Birdcrime report reveals second-highest figure on record" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/9HDCq2G

RSPB Scotland, co-sponsored by NatureScot, hosted the annual Nature of Scotland Awards on Thursday evening, giving recognition to some of the best people working in nature conservation in Scotland. HUGE congratulations to Scottish Raptor Study Group member Dave Anderson, who deservedly scooped the RSPB Species Champion Award! This award is ‘to recognise someone who has achieved … Continue reading "Leading Scottish raptor researcher wins national award" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/E7p9Z8b

Unfortunately, the People’s Walk for Wildlife 2, organised by Chris Packham and due to take place on 27th November 2022, has had to be postponed due to the impact of rail strikes. Please note, the event hasn’t been cancelled, just postponed, and will return in Spring 2023 with the ongoing support of many of the … Continue reading "People’s Walk for Wildlife 2: postponed until spring 2023" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/1m6qTwI

The People’s Walk for Wildlife is back! Following on from a successful Walk for Wildlife in 2018 (here), Chris Packham is organising The People’s Walk for Wildlife 2, which will take place in London on Sunday 27th November 2022. Here’s a video message from Chris, explaining why this event is taking place and some details … Continue reading "People’s Walk for Wildlife #2: London, Sunday 27th November 2022" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/dibyh1P

A court hearing has been delayed once again in the case of a Scottish gamekeeper accused of killing a sparrowhawk. [Sparrowhawk photo by Markus Varesvuo] The un-named 22-year-old gamekeeper was charged in September 2021 (see here) for the alleged killing on a grouse moor in Inverness-shire and he was due in court on 30th September 2022. … Continue reading "Court hearing delayed again for Scottish gamekeeper accused of killing sparrowhawk on grouse moor" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/zlAmp7t

A court hearing has been delayed once again in the case of a Scottish gamekeeper accused of killing a sparrowhawk. [Sparrowhawk photo by Markus Varesvuo] The un-named 22-year-old gamekeeper was charged in September 2021 (see here) for the alleged killing on a grouse moor in Inverness-shire and he was due in court on 30th September 2022. … Continue reading "Court hearing delayed again for Scottish gamekeeper accused of killing sparrowhawk on grouse moor" from Raptor Persecution UK https://ift.tt/e0mAOqB via IFTTT

I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while but it kept slipping down the list. However, it’s timely to write it now because I’ll be focusing some attention on Strathbraan in some forthcoming blogs. In November last year, RSPB Scotland published a blog about the Werritty Review of grouse moor management and how … Continue reading "Ravens illegally shot on two Strathbraan grouse moors" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/EQW4YyM

I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while but it kept slipping down the list. However, it’s timely to write it now because I’ll be focusing some attention on Strathbraan in some forthcoming blogs. In November last year, RSPB Scotland published a blog about the Werritty Review of grouse moor management and how … Continue reading "Ravens illegally shot on two Strathbraan grouse moors" from Raptor Persecution UK https://ift.tt/qAadC7K via IFTTT

For anyone who still wants to pretend that the grouse shooting industry isn’t responsible for the systematic extermination of hen harriers on grouse moors across the UK, here’s the latest catalogue of crime that suggests otherwise. [This male hen harrier died in 2019 after his leg was almost severed in an illegally set trap that … Continue reading "73 hen harriers confirmed ‘missing’ or illegally killed in UK since 2018, most of them on or close to grouse moors" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/M1WoT8C

Durham Constabulary have reported the suspicious disappearance of a young satellite-tagged hen harrier called ‘Sia’. [‘Sia’ after being satellite-tagged in southern Scotland earlier this year. The tag was sponsored by the Lothian & Borders Raptor Study Group] This is the press statement issued yesterday (4th November 2022): Officers team up with partners in search for … Continue reading "Yet another satellite-tagged hen harrier ‘disappears’ in suspicious circumstances in the North Pennines" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/GfltInY

Durham Constabulary have reported the suspicious disappearance of a young satellite-tagged hen harrier called ‘Sia’. [‘Sia’ after being satellite-tagged in southern Scotland earlier this year. The tag was sponsored by the Lothian & Borders Raptor Study Group] This is the press statement issued yesterday (4th November 2022): Officers team up with partners in search for … Continue reading "Yet another satellite-tagged hen harrier ‘disappears’ in suspicious circumstances in the North Pennines" from Raptor Persecution UK https://ift.tt/JM7zgwL via IFTTT

Last month, Norfolk gamekeeper Matthew Stroud, 46, of Fengate in Weeting was convicted of multiple offences including: [Photo of gamekeeper Matthew Stroud and one of the six buzzards he shot and killed. Photo via Eastern Daily Press] Even though Stroud’s crimes easily passed the threshold for a custodial sentence, he received a 12-month Community Order … Continue reading "RSPB Investigations Officer reflects on conviction of Norfolk raptor-killing gamekeeper Matthew Stroud" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/kCFbXcv

An article in today’s Daily Record reports that Rhys Davies, the Millden Estate gamekeeper jailed earlier this year for his involvement in depraved badger-baiting crimes (see here), had ‘formed a close bond’ with another animal-fighting sadist, Anthony Holloway. [Convicted Millden Estate gamekeeper Rhys Davies] According to today’s article, Holloway, 30, who is described as ‘a … Continue reading "Convicted Millden Estate gamekeeper Rhys Davies had ‘formed a close bond’ with another animal-fighting sadist" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/N09f8y4

An article in today’s Daily Record reports that Rhys Davies, the Millden Estate gamekeeper jailed earlier this year for his involvement in depraved badger-baiting crimes (see here), had ‘formed a close bond’ with another animal-fighting sadist, Anthony Holloway. [Convicted Millden Estate gamekeeper Rhys Davies] According to today’s article, Holloway, 30, who is described as ‘a … Continue reading "Convicted Millden Estate gamekeeper Rhys Davies had ‘formed a close bond’ with another animal-fighting sadist" from Raptor Persecution UK https://ift.tt/XsxuHFw via IFTTT

Last week news emerged that Scottish Government agency Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS, formerly known as Forestry Commission Scotland) was in the process of purchasing a large grouse-shooting estate in the Angus Glens, Glenprosen Estate for the estimated sum of £25 million (e.g. news reports here and here). Mainstream media focused on the reported secrecy … Continue reading "Caution needed over apparent ‘biodiversity benefits’ from sale of Glenprosen Estate in Angus Glens" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/pGZU9y6