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