FIRECREST TOURS : Guided Birdwatching & Wildlife Days

Formidable land reform campaigner Andy Wightman has revamped his ‘Who Owns Scotland‘ website – a fantastic resource for anyone interested in land ownership and a site I’ve used countless times to investigate locations of raptor persecution crimes. Here’s a new brochure from Andy to encourage new subscribers: If you have any questions about the project, … Continue reading "Andy Wightman revamps ‘Who Owns Scotland’ website" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/oKT3umB

Last weekend at its annual conference, the Scottish Raptor Study Group (SRSG) paid tribute to Patrick Stirling-Aird MBE, who has retired from his long-held position as SRSG Secretary. The following text is a copy of the tribute to Patrick, delivered at the SRSG conference by Duncan Orr-Ewing. Patrick Stirling-Aird MBE SRSG Conference 18 February 2023 … Continue reading "Scottish Raptor Study Group pays tribute to Patrick Stirling-Aird on his retirement" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/VuzLHGj

  Two men have been banned from owning or keeping dogs for three years under new legislative powers designed to target poachers. On 21 February2023, Colchester magistrates handed David Hilden and Tyron Young disqualification orders under section 66 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 in what is believed to be a national first, after the pair each admitted a charge of daytime trespass in pursuit of game. Magistrates made the orders after hearing both men had travelled to the Saffron Walden area from south London with dogs which were to be used to poach game. Investigating officer PC Nigel Wright, of the Rural Engagement Team, said after the hearing:  “The poaching of wild animals is extremely cruel but it can also cause a lot of damage to crops and farmland, which is very costly for the land owner or farmer. Dogs are integral to poaching and I am delighted that the magistrates were able to use this new legislation to deprive these two poac...

Following the sentencing last week of criminal gamekeeper Paul Allen in Dorset (here), I’ve been reviewing the responses from various organisations including the RSPB (here), the game-shooting industry (here) and Dorset Police (here). Today I’m reviewing Natural England’s response. Natural England (NE) published the following blog (reproduced below) on the day Allen was sentenced (16th … Continue reading "Natural England’s response to sentencing of criminal gamekeeper Paul Allen" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/Ai9cKRI

There’s a two-page spread in today’s Mirror newspaper on the ‘rising crimewave of raptor persecution across the UK’, written by Environment Editor Nada Farhoud. There isn’t anything in this article that regular blog readers won’t already know about but that’s not really the point. It’s good to see the extent of these crimes being exposed … Continue reading "‘Rising crimewave of raptor persecution across UK’ – feature article in The Mirror" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/UpVBnSr

Well it’s taken them long enough, but finally Dorset Police has managed to issue a statement about the conviction and sentencing of criminal gamekeeper Paul Allen, who pleaded guilty to multiple wildlife, poisons and firearms offences whilst working on the Shaftesbury Estate in March 2021. You’ll recall I was surprised when Dorset Police failed to … Continue reading "Dorset Police response to sentencing of criminal gamekeeper Paul Allen" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/oEVWthf

Further to last week’s blog about criminal gamekeeper Paul Allen’s sentencing for committing multiple wildlife, poisons and firearms offences on the Shaftesbury Estate in Dorset (here), here is a round-up of responses from the organisations within the game-shooting industry who also serve on the Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group (RPPDG), whose main objective is to … Continue reading "Game-shooting industry’s response to sentencing of Dorset gamekeeper Paul Allen" RaptorPersecutionUK https://ift.tt/sN2LPzk