Huge congratulations to the Scottish Raptor Study Group (SRSG) which celebrated its 40th anniversary at the weekend.
[SRSG Secretary Patrick Stirling-Aird cuts the birthday cake during the annual conference on Saturday, accompanied by keynote speaker Dr Maria Del Mar Delgado and Tayside Raptor Study Group Chair, Claire Smith. Photo by Ruth Tingay]
The SRSG is a network of over 300 raptor experts who monitor and record the fortunes of birds of prey across Scotland. The members are organised within 12 regional branches covering all of mainland Scotland and most of the islands.
They check over 5,000 known raptor territories for occupancy each year and record the status, distribution and breeding success of each species. They’ve amassed a unique long-term dataset of raptor records and this information is vital for understanding changes in population trends. Their results are published annually as part of the award-winning Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme and have contributed to hundreds of scientific publications. These results are used regularly by conservation agencies and Government to inform local, regional and national conservation plans and policies.
SRSG members work on a voluntary basis and between them contribute thousands of days to fieldwork and data collection every year. SRSG members have varied backgrounds and are from many different professions, but are united by their commitment to the protection and conservation of Scotland’s raptors.
Golden Eagle Species Champion Andy Wightman MSP has recognised the importance and significance of the SRSG’s efforts and has lodged a motion at the Scottish Parliament asking his fellow MSPs for support:
The motion was only published yesterday so it’s early days but already has a number of cross-party supporters. If your MSP isn’t listed yet, it’d be worth you contacting them and asking them to support Motion S5M-21080 because it never hurts for them to receive mail from constituents who care about raptor conservation. If they choose not to support this motion it’d be very interesting to hear the reason(s) for that decision. [NB: If your MSP is also a Minister they’re not able to sign up to support motions].
Not sure who your MSP is? Find out here
Raptor Persecution UK 
Very well done and thank you SRSG!!! I had the privilege of helping out a local raptor worker a couple of times last year (carrying and holding the ladder!) and it was an eye opener. My enduring memory was of her at the top of the ladder doing her best to scrape out as much crap and food remains as possible from a barn owl nest box a local conservation group had made and then been placed in a tree on the edge of a field. It was mid November, but it was crawling with maggots – sadly no robin popped along to gobble them up while we were there. Remarkably there had been two barn owl chicks in the nest which were carefully measured, rung then put back. Not tremendously glamorous work all told, but vital from a conservation viewpoint – no nest box then the parents would have been struggling to raise young and no tidying up less chance of it being reused next year. There are clots who are now trying to blame barn owl and kestrel declines on buzzards – I wonder if they’ve ever tried putting up nest boxes for them rather than trying to malign another raptor or for that matter raptor workers? Silly question really.