A new website focusing on the illegal persecution of raptors in Scotland has just been launched by the ‘Project Raptor’ team – see here.
Definitely one to watch!
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Raptor Persecution UK 
Why are you just bothered about birds of prey, what about nightjars for example?
[Ed: the clue’s in the blog name. Not much nightjar persecution going on]
Just had a quick glance at this new website and will explore in detail tomorrow.
Damned good show. Keep thrashing the importance of the need to alert the public to the use of poison since it can quite likely lead to the death of a child. Police are desperately remiss in this respect.
Excellent, practical information on how to spot raptor persecution. It is so important that as many people as possible are watching over our countryside and reporting any suspicious activity. We must let the criminals that continue to flout the law of the land know that we are watching – all of us!
Excellent website. In respect of spotting where raptor persecution is going on I would suggest another situation to look out for. That is landowners (most esp. those with shooting estates) who attempt to prevent or discourage people walking about. In the absence of there not being clear reasons not to roam at will then any attempt to deter access should be regarded with suspicion.
Looks good…I do have a slight worry about duplication of effort…raptorpersecutionscotland has tackled all these issues extremely well..[including information on what to do and calls for info on crimes] and people have been learning to go straight to it for the real news….I hope I am proved wrong and you both go from strength to strength – as long as this new one is truly independent of any organisations?
Thanks for the comments re the new Project Raptor Site. What we didn’t want to do is duplicate any other site and I don’t believe we have. Although we cover the issue of raptor persecution I think that’s where the similarities finish in regards to Raptor Persecution Scotland. RPS do an outstanding job of gathering information and getting it out there for everybody to see and to understand what is really going on in the world of raptor persecution. They have gone from strength to strength and I think all would agree that there is no other site that compares for offering such useful, honest and accurate reporting.
I’m not sure if you have read the ‘About’ page on our site and forgive us if you have, but it explains what we are doing and over the weeks and months I think our aims will become clearer, if they are not already. We are not a blog site and have no plans to be interactive in this way for the foreseeable future. Nobody could do the job better than what RPS are doing already and so for anybody who visits our site and wants to make comment regarding the raptor persecution issue, as well as learn more about the politics of this subject etc. we have included a direct link to RPS. Also, we do not cover any other stories of crimes against raptors except those that we uncover ourselves. As you would appreciate Dave, we cannot go into any detail about our work in the field, but over the months our goals here at Project Raptor will be these; to collect material that we will then use as case studies and present them on our site in a full, accurate and honest way, from the initial find all the way through to the conclusion of a case, if there is one. As we make clear on our site, we will report in a responsible way, giving time for any investigation to be carried out and will limit details of a case, if it is felt in any way to compromise an investigation or may infringe on the laws of sub judice.
On our site we also mention our community awareness and whistle blowing initiatives. The details of these will soon be released, but it is hoped that they will help the local community to be more informed about the criminals that may live in their area and the negative impact these people can have on a community as well as the serious health risks that they may pose to people, farm animals and pets.
Finally, in relation to raptor persecution, we give a guide on what to look out for when in the countryside as well as detailed practical advice on what to do if you do come across a possible crime against raptors. The information that we give is offered to you by people who have had to deal with incidents related to raptor persecution over the years and so have had personal experience in coming across such incidents as well as reporting them. This is early days Dave and as a growing and progressive project, in addition to other changes we will be making to our site over the coming months, we shall also be adding to our ‘Eagle Eye’ site, giving more information on how people can help look out for raptors!
We hope that the work of Project Raptor will be a helpful addition in the fight against raptor persecution in Scotland.
Thanks Project Raptor..thats all reassuring..as I said best of luck with it all….you will of course draw some extraordinary flak from powerful people, as everyome has who has really attempted to do something on the ground.Keep at it!
I’ve had the same thoughts as Dave above. I welcome any site that exposes the widespread crimes against Scotland’s gravely threatened birds of prey & endeavours to have the perpetrating thugs where they should be, in prison. What will project raptor do that this site won’t do? I wish you all the best of success against the evil in Scotland’s countryside.
BIRDMAN Derek Canning LLB made legal history yesterday when he became the first man in Britain to be jailed for stealing and selling rare birds of prey
[Ed: this conviction was back in 1995: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/birdnest-raider-jailed-for-trade-in-wild-chicks-1620102.html%5D
I also welcome this site, the more info that is out there, the better the fight will be by those that care about the horrific persecution that goes on against these wonderful birds of prey (openly in many respects)
Any one notice the bit in Sunday Mail today? At the bottom of a page and the size of a postage stamp!!! 16 near Conon Bridge. 4 BUZZARDS AND 12 RED KITES. I will be writing to them, hope others will too.