Yesterday we commented on an article being run on the BBC News website that was reporting on the shooting of goshawk chicks in the Borders (here). We raised some questions about the details in the article.
Thanks to the contributors who have written in to clarify things:
The BBC News article said: “The find was made in woods near Innerleithen by wildlife police officers earlier this month“. Not true. The dead chicks were found by raptor workers in June and were reported to the police at that time.
The BBC News article said: “It appears that whoever attacked the nest climbed up and then blasted it with a shotgun making it impossible to identify how many chicks were inside“. Not true. The chicks were shot by someone standing beneath the nest tree. Two dead chicks were retrieved from the nest by raptor workers and delivered to the local police station to be sent for x-ray to confirm the cause of death.
The BBC News article said: “Anyone with information has been urged to contact Lothian & Borders Police immediately“. Information was given to the Lothian & Borders Police Wildlife Crime Coordinator in June.
The BBC News article said: “Police said they were treating the case very seriously“. Really?
Raptor Persecution UK 
This late reporting of information, (totally wrong info in this case) seems to happen on too many occasions when the police are supposed to be handling it. I wonder, is this a deliberate attempt to delay the possibilty of any usefull evidence becoming available from anyone who may know something?
nirofo.