This blog passed another milestone over the weekend, reaching eight million views.
Here’s the photograph that I publish every time a new milestone is reached. This is a golden eagle that was found dead on a grouse moor in the Cairngorms National Park in 2006. It had been illegally poisoned. It epitomises everything in its pitiful, poignant, senselessness.
Have attitudes changed since 2006?
No! The RSPB reported that 2020 was the ‘worst year on record‘ for bird of prey persecution in the UK. Eagles and other raptors are still being killed by poisoning, trapping, bludgeoning or shooting, even inside our National Parks.
A white-tailed eagle was found poisoned on a grouse moor in the Cairngorms National Park in 2020 (here) and a golden eagle was found poisoned on another grouse moor in the Cairngorms National Park in 2021 (here).
The toxicology results from two white-tailed eagles recently found dead in suspicious circumstances on two game-shooting estates in Dorset and Sussex are anticipated with grim inevitability.
Thank you to everybody who supports and contributes to this blog, including those who share its content on social media channels and in conversations with friends, family, colleagues and associates.
Eight million views is a lot, but it’s not enough. There’s still so much work to do. The Scottish Government has promised new regulatory powers, but 15 months later we’re still waiting for those to be implemented. The Westminster Government is still at the denial stage, although I suspect the death of these two reintroduced eagles is about to provide an effective wake-up call for Ministers.
I intend to keep writing this blog for a while longer and hope you’ll all stay with me.
Thanks for your continued support.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Well done and I will definitely be staying with you. Thanks for your dedication and hard work. Best wishes Sue
Ditto, , like glue. ACW.
Here’s to the day you no longer have to do this. In the meantime, thank you Ruth, you’re an inspiration.
Well done, keep up the good work and continued mental strength to deal with the constant insults.
Keep on going Ruth, one day, hopefully, it will end and you can put the pen down. 🤞
An invaluable service. You must be really tough, all credit to you. I sincerely hope, you, on balance, are sustained by your efforts.
I’m sure I speak for many people who care and resent whats happening to our raptors and say we are with and support you all the way Ruth. We can never allow this to be hidden or ignored away and the people responsible weather they are landowners or their employee’s to get away with it. We need to highlight and challenge those government departments who are failing to take action. By doing nothing, failing to act they are complicit as those killing the birds in my eyes. The work you do I’m sure inspires many of us to “have a go” and do what we are able.
All the while you keep writing Ruth, I, and I am sure, many, many more, will continue to still stay with you and RPUK… it must be exasperating for you having to keep repeat yourself after all this time, but sadly, I can’t see this dreadful problem going away any time soon. It most certainly is no fun seeing yet another headline of another sad death; it almost seems daily in this present age.
Not until a government gives far more support, legal, financial and in the number of personnel, to the agencies who try their hardest to protect raptors and to the courts to hand out far heavier fines and longer sentences when the perpetrators are convicted. And that is certainly not going to happen any time soon either with the Conservatives seemingly to be supporters of the grouse moor movement.
Now I am on Twitter I have shared this so hopefully a few more people may see it and spread the word to help raptors and gee up this useless government to do something positive. Sadly, it taking so many dead raptors shouldn’t be a wake-up call; it should have happened way back in 2006. So many are guilty of needlessly holding back powers to give hope.
We are 100% with you on this Ruth . I hope you will see this out till we get the outcome we all want .
Ruth, you do a fantastic job publicising these incidents which the culprits would rather we didn’t know about. Thanks.
Well done Ruth and everyone that reports wildlife crime . I run a osprey group and we have files on Raptor Persecution and I publish every one of your reports https://www.facebook.com/notes/loch-garten-and-other-ospreys/raptoranimal-persecution-reports-and-any-other-incidents-to-do-with-birds-or-ani/1278842285834379/
I will be with you all the way. You are honest, fair and tenacious in equal measure. Keep going.
While raptor persecution continues unabated, the level of awareness amongst the general public has increased significantly making it more and more difficult for politicians to continue to pretend it doesn’t exist or is carried out a minority of gamekeepers or by a few bad apples.
Thank you for all you do.
Definitely with you all the way – in awe of all the effort you and colleagues expend bringing these atrocities to notice, especially when the “powers that be” do so little to prevent them. Please keep on trying and writing !
Sadly I fear your blog is still much needed but thank goodness for you. You are a real wildlife champion.
Brilliant, all down to you Ruth and the wider public and some of the media are catching on as a result of more folk knowing. No hysteria just straight honest reporting and that of course is what really gets up the oppositions nose. Keep up the good work as sadly our raptors still need it just as much as ever.
Keep uyp the good work Ruth — and Thank You.
I will definitely stay with you… this blog is a ‘must’ for those of us wanting to know what’s really going on. It’s also great information to pass on to local Natural History Group members and friends, to make them more aware. Thank you for all the hard work you put into fighting against Raptor persecution.. much appreciated!
Thanks for all your hard work and keep it going, progress is slow but only with people like you will it every come’
thanks for all the hard work,glad to here your’re keeping going
Keep going, Ruth. You give us the information we need to hold their feet to the fire.
Many, many thanks.
Ruth
You are a total inspiration. The outstanding quality of the reports you produce, your knowledge, your determination to keep going despite the lies, manipulation, insults and threats from your opponents is incredible. Thank you for everything you do.
Thanks for your dedication, professionalism and sheer hard work stretching across 3 decades.
Thank you for persevering through thick and thin. Will keep on supporting as long as it takes.
Thank you.
Without your hard work, so much of what goes on would remain hidden, and so much would never be challenged.
Although this has been and will be a very long and hard slog, I first became aware of the heart breaking historic and ongoing persecution of our raptors way back in the 1970s as a nine year old, I’m sure we’ve come an awful lot further than we might think we have and an awful lot of that is down to RPUK and therefore you Ruth. I can’t stress what a difference it has made having this platform rather than be limited to grinding your teeth in private. Thank you.
Big well done, today I saw a male Hen Harrier, what a magnificent sight, someday this may be a commoner sight, ive seen 3 in a lifetime,
Others have said it, so apologies if my offering repeats gratitude for your endeavours and for your inspirational tenacity much admired by the many and resented by the few (albeit ‘powerful’) wealthy landowners who believe themselves above the law and the ever increasing ranks of public opinion.
Here’s to the day that you report more positive actions by the Scottish Government, who like English politicians offer plenty of talk but fail to walk.
Be assured you have made a difference, by your words and by your actions and we in your shadow can only marvel at your commitment and we’re behind you all the way although we oft struggle to keep up with your pace.
The one thing the rich and powerful fail to do is quieten the social media, the reach of which is exposing them to brand damage – so, thank you and keep on underpinning the campaigning with research and facts.
Meant to say, that’s some milestone gal! Reckon few campaign blogs can boast that level output, you’re a star!
Thank you very much for such kind comments – they’re very much appreciated, thank you.
The nation’s raptors need you.
It’s that simple.
Except it isn’t simple, is it?
It’s gotta be bloody relentless sometimes. Wading through the gruesome, graphic evidence of raptor persecution, day in, day out. Factor in all the other tripe, the personal persecution, and blimey, it’s a crusher.
But you refuse to be crushed, And now, wow, look at the blog numbers. Just look at the RP awareness you’ve built and continue to build. Take a moment to allow that to sink in. You did that. You made that happen. Yep. Total mint balls, mate. Imperial mint balls at that.
I dunno what else to say, Ruth, except, keep on, keeping on. Keep on doing the right thing for our raptors. Oh and, “May the force be with you,” obvs.
Take care,
Love and light
Namaste
Live Long and Prosper 🖖
Ness x
Bit late with this but the comments above say it all. What an achievement and what tenacity. Very many thanks Ruth. One day eight million views will turn into eight million individuals, then shooting for fun will be dead.
Thank you, Paul and Melanie Fisher
Horrific something radical needs to be done to address this killing of birds of prey,heavy jail sentences,& fines & authorities bought to justice,for ignorance of duty..otherwise we facing the nightmare scenario of extinction..
It is quite incredible that a single individual can have had such an influence on what we know and continue to learn about wildlife persecution, especially raptors. You are an absolute inspiration. I would find it interesting if a rough graph or similar could be provided to show the rate of growth of the views of the blog over the years it has been running. Many thanks.
Perhaps it’s not what your looking for but this has always interested me. It’s the button at the very bottom of the right hand columb on the page.”http://www.clustrmaps.com/map/Raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com”
Sad it before, and I’ll say it again. We all owe you a considerable debt of gratitude, Ruth.
Very supportive here in North Wales. I continually talk about the plight of raptors and other species in the UK with family, friends and anyone who will listen. I can talk with more knowledge too thanks to this blog. Keep up the excellent work done by yourself and Wild Justice. And thank you.
This is a senslis act. These people that did this, need to be brought to justice, and held accountable for there crimes. John McGarry
Please keep going as long as you can, Ruth. I’m sure it’s very tough and relentless work, but you are uniquely good at it – you get the balance between outrage and forensic analysis better than anyone else I’ve read. If anyone can make a difference, you can.
I don’t often comment here now, simply because I usually find myself in exactly the situation I’m in now – late to the party and unable to think of anything to say that hasn’t already been said better by others. But I still hugely appreciate the work that you do, day in, day out, year in, year out. You’re an absolute star!
Nothing to do with your fantastic 8M views. This link might be interesting Lead Bullets Are Poisoning North American Eagles (gizmodo.com)
Cheers
Peter