FIRECREST TOURS : Guided Birdwatching & Wildlife Days

A 34-year old gamekeeper, James Hartley, appeared at Preston Magistrates Court today to face a series of charges relating to the alleged killing of two peregrines on the Bleasdale Estate, Bowland, in April 2016. The charges read out in court were as follows: Killing a Schedule 1 wild bird. On 13 April 2016 at Bleasdale […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2fByZFa

Further to this morning’s blog about the mystery gamekeeper from north east Scotland who was filmed allegedly setting an illegal trap near a goshawk nest and who has subsequently been slapped with a General Licence restriction order by SNH, but whose name and employment details have been withheld. Who could he possibly be and where, […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2xzSB0T

So, SNH has today announced it has imposed two General Licence restriction orders, based on evidence provided by Police Scotland of alleged raptor persecution crimes. We know that one of those restriction orders has been placed on Edradynate Estate, Perthshire, because SNH has been quite upfront about it and has named the estate (see here). […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2wjg3xO

As many of you will know, SNH has the ability to impose a three-year General Licence restriction order on land, or an an individual, where there is ‘clear evidence’, substantiated by Police Scotland, that raptor persecution has taken place (see SNH framework here). This measure, based on a civil burden of proof, was introduced by then […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2y7mQ26

Earlier this month Harry Huyton (on behalf of OneKind) presented evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee in support of a petition calling for greater protection for mountain hares. This petition, signed by over 11,000 people, specifically calls for: ‘The Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to introduce greater protection for mountain hares […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2xI3ZKa

Back in June we blogged about the prosecution of former Edradynate Estate gamekeeper David Campbell for alleged offences including the malicious damage of crops (it is claimed he poisoned them by spraying with an unknown substance, causing them to rot and perish) and the alleged theft of a thermal imaging spotting scope (see here). What […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2xAm6Bd

Earlier this year, Les Wallace lodged a petition with the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee calling for a comprehensive and independent study into the full economic impacts of driven grouse shooting (see here). This petition was due to be heard by the Petitions Committee last week but they ran out of time so they deferred […] Read in full at Raptor Persecution UK http://ift.tt/2yt0HIH