Another red kite has now been confirmed poisoned in Scotland, this time in Strathtay, near Aberfeldy, Perthshire. Although the bird was found dead towards the letter end of July, toxicology results undertaken by SASA have only recently confirmed poisoning to have been the cause. Tayside police are now appealing for any information to bring those responsible to justice.
Continue reading Raptor Poisoning – too much talk and not enough action by UK Governments!
Raptor Politics have recently learned that the RSPB have decided to widen the hen harrier debate by launching a public consultation initiative throughout Northern England. The aims of this important project are to try and promote public awareness and a better understanding of people’s attitudes towards hen harriers in the community and devise new approaches to their conservation, presumably that work.
Continue reading The North of England Hen Harrier Community Consultation
Writing in this weeks Shooting Times, Joe Dimbleby asks the question are Eagle Owls on RSPB’s land in the North Pennines?
It appears initial reports of nesting eagle owls on the RSPB’s Geltsdale Nature Reserve in the North Pennines first surfaced when the head gamekeeper from the adjoining shooting estate at Knarsdale observed an eagle owl flying across moorland on the estate being mobbed by a buzzard. We must presume as Knarsdale gamekeepers would be fully aware no eagle owls were present on the moorlands they managed, by a process of elimination, any nesting eagle owls which had not already been disposed of in the region could only be next door on RSPB property.
Continue reading Eagle Owl Debate Elevated into Higher Gear.
It has just been announced that twenty-two Hen Harrier chicks have hatched this year in the Forest of Bowland. Last year saw a total of only ten chicks fledging from just four productive nests. We believe all but one of this year’s nests was on moorlands owned by United Utilities, and I know some of you will be wondering how this has come about. After all, the heather moorlands surrounding the UU estates is equally as good if not better for Hen Harriers, yet for some reason they don’t colonise the neighbouring shooting estates as they would normally be expected to do.
Continue reading Great Season for United Utilities Hen Harriers in Bowland.
The 2009 breeding season was one of the worst years for Hen harriers since records began, although numbers in Lancashire’s Forest of Bowland declined from 39 breeding females to just a single breeding pair in the mid 1980’s.
Continue reading Hen Harriers on the verge of extinction in England
Today we have received a copy of the 2008 report on the illegal killing of birds of prey in Scotland during 2008. You can download the report in PDF format from the link at the bottom of this article.
We are obliged to the RSPB in Scotland for this report, and for permission to publish it here. If you think that this report is bad, we are informed that ’2009 is grim’.
We note that the RSPB thank the Scottish Police forces amongst others for their efforts in combating wildlife crime. Would that we could do the same for the Lancashire Police for their efforts – but we can’t – they’re part of the problem!
Continue reading The illegal killing of birds of prey in Scotland in 2008
Harriers dead and gone within days of warden leaving estate
This morning I was dragged out for a walk by Mrs Admin. She maintains I spend far too much time in front of the computer, and she’s probably right. I do need some exercise, but important news of a disaster on a United Utilities estate in Bowland needed a write-up. So, as we trudged along over hill and dale, I tried to explain to her what had happened.
Continue reading Hen Harrier Disaster on United Utilities Land
by John S.Armitage – out of retirement
Part 1
At the risk of the following article seeming more than a little self orientated I thought that I’d better try and explain why I’ve submitted it. The facts presented speak for themselves, the sentiment behind it is a different matter. An evaluation of the efforts, from a variety of people, over the last decade show that these are not producing the desired results as far as raptor protection in Bowland is concerned. This is in no way criticising all the hard work that has been put in, but we have to face facts! It’s true that holding the line, short term gains, and a consolidation of success in some parts has been enjoyed, but elsewhere the situation is not improving, a fact we must all? recognize and not allow ourselves to accept otherwise. I’m not suggesting that I have a single solution, far from it, but what I do have is time. Time that I’m more than willing to offer, to lend weight to overstretched efforts to bring about permanent change. I’m utterly disgusted by the current situation, it’s immoral and, in this day and age, it can’t be allowed to continue!!
Continue reading Hen Harriers…..A Plea for Urgent Action!
Another red kite has now been confirmed poisoned in Scotland, this time in Strathtay, near Aberfeldy, Perthshire. Although the bird was found dead towards the letter end of July, toxicology results undertaken by SASA have only recently confirmed poisoning to have been the cause. Tayside police are now appealing for any information to bring those responsible to justice.
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