FIRECREST TOURS : Guided Birdwatching & Wildlife Days

A member of the public found a weak and thin buzzard by the side of the road in Tedburn St Mary, near Exeter, Devon on 20 January 2017. It was taken to the RSPCA’s West Hatch wildlife centre in Taunton where, due to the extent of its injuries, the bird was euthanised. It appears the […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2jrnKjm

This morning the Scottish Parliament’s Environment, Climate Change & Land Reform (ECCLR) Committee considered how to progress the Scottish Raptor Study Group’s petition calling for the introduction of a state-regulated licensing system for all gamebird hunting in Scotland. You may recall the petition was submitted to the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee last summer. That […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2kLhEHB

The term ‘nasty brigade’ was coined by Chris Packham in an opinion piece he wrote for BBC Wildlife Magazine in October 2015. He was referring to certain organisations within the shooting industry, which led to two of those organisations (Countryside Alliance & GWCT) making a formal complaint to the BBC – a complaint the BBC […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2kKF9Um

In March 2014, 22 red kites and buzzards were illegally poisoned in Ross-shire, in an incident that became known as the Ross-shire Massacre. This shocking crime drew wide public attention and revulsion, leading to public protests in Inverness town centre. In 2015, film-maker Lisa Marley produced a short but beautifully evocative film about the crime […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2jJLvle

Earlier this month we revealed that public funds were being used to promote the business of a sporting agent who had been convicted of raptor persecution (through being vicariously liable for the crimes of his gamekeeper). We encouraged blog readers to ask Tourism Minister Fiona Hyslop whether this was an appropriate use of tax payers’ […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2jtMdmw

Things are moving forward with the Scottish Raptor Study Group’s petition calling for the introduction of a state-regulated licensing system for all gamebird hunting. You may recall the petition was submitted to the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee last summer. That Committee took evidence in October 2016 from the SRSG and RSPB Scotland (see here) […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2jAqhDM

Criminal proceedings continued yesterday (24 January 2017) 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/2jYYhg9