As part of its scrutiny of the Wildlife & Muirburn (Scotland) Bill, the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs & Islands Committee put out a public call for views which ran from 31st March – 5th May 2023.
For new blog readers, this is the Bill that has been introduced by the Scottish Government in response to the recommendations made in the 2019 Werritty Review and is designed to bring in licensing for grouse moor management and put an end to the illegal killing of birds of prey on grouse moors.
The Committee received 5,705 submissions in total, 109 from organisations and 5,596 from individuals.
The Committee has now published two documents in relation to these responses. One document summarising the views of individuals, and one document detailing the full responses from named organisations.
I’ve only skimmed these so far and it’ll take some time to go through in detail but I was amused to see on the list of respondees a number of estates that are currently serving General Licence restrictions imposed after ‘clear evidence’ of wildlife crime was uncovered on estate land (e.g. Millden Estate in the Angus Glens and Invercauld Estate in the Cairngorms National Park).
The Stage 1 scrutiny of the Bill is due to be completed by 6 October 2023 after the Scottish Parliament recently agreed to a motion to this effect (see here).
The Committee will be calling forward various organisations to give evidence before summer recess begins on 1st July 2023 and these sessions should be available to view on Scottish Parliament TV.
I’ll post links to these evidence sessions as they become available.
UPDATE 29th May 2023: Timetable announced for evidence sessions on Wildlife & Muirburn (Scotland) Bill (here)
Ben Garrick is a young, talented third-year student of marine and natural history photography at Falmouth University and for his final year project he set out to find and film Britain’s owls.
Barn owl. Photo: Ben Garrick
He’s just released his beautifully-filmed short documentary on YouTube, to deserved rave reviews. It’s as much about the dedication and resilience needed to complete the project as it is about the owls.
The UK’s oldest known red kite has died in Oxfordshire.
Aragon, named after the region in Spain from where he was donated, was one of the red kites released in the Chilterns in 1994 as part of a UK reintroduction scheme.
Schoolchildren in Brize Norton recently found him injured outside their school and he was collected by Chrissie Gaines who runs a local owl sanctuary and was taken for veterinary attention. She believed he’d been attacked by other birds.
Aragon the red kite. Photo: Chrissie Gaines
Unfortunately but unsurprisingly, he didn’t survive his injuries and died aged 29 years.
In April 2023, Barry Nicolle, 67, a wildfowl collector from Dumfries & Galloway, pleaded guilty to 14 charges relating to the poisoning of red kites with banned pesticides, which included the placing of poisonous baits out in the countryside (see here and here).
This morning he was sentenced at Dumfries Sheriff Court and was given a monumentally inadequate community service order – to complete 216 hours of unpaid work within 12 months.
The RSPB has issued the following press release:
DUMFRIES-SHIRE MAN GIVEN COMMUNITY PAYBACK ORDER FOR ‘SERIOUS’ BIRD POISONING OFFENCES
A Dumfries and Galloway wildfowl collector was today (19 May 2023) sentenced to 216 hours of community payback at Dumfries Sheriff Court, after being convicted of multiple charges relating to the use of illegal poisons to target protected wildlife.
At a previous hearing, Barry Nicolle (67) plead guilty to 14 charges, including the illegal poisoning of five Red Kites and 10 Rooks, the placing of poison baits out in open countryside and the possession of banned pesticides.
A container of the banned poison Aldicarb, found at Nicolle’s house. Photo: Crown Office
Speaking in court today, the Sherriff said the crimes were serious enough to cross the threshold for prison to be considered, however given that the individual had no previous convictions, in light of his age, and due to sentencing guidelines regarding custodial penalties of less than 12 months, a community order was served.
The case dates back to spring 2019, when several dead Red Kites were found by members of the public in the Springholm area, between Dumfries and Castle Douglas. Toxicology tests by the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture government laboratory revealed that all had died after consuming meat laced with poison. More victims were identified over the following months, including a number of Rooks found poisoned in the playground of the local primary school. One kite found killed was lying adjacent to the body of a Mandarin Duck used as a bait and found to have been laced with the same banned pesticide that killed the kite.
Mandarin Ducks are not a native species in Scotland, and the use of this exotic species as a bait drew Police Scotland’s attention to Nicolle who kept a large collection of exotic ducks and geese in an enclosure next to his house. During the execution of a search warrant at his premises in February 2020, police officers found quantities of aldicarb and bendiocarb, both illegal poisons, and both of which had been detected in the victims. Officers also found a Larsen trap being used illegally adjacent to Nicolle’s duck ponds. Nicolle was subsequently arrested and charged.
Ian Thomson, RSPB Scotland’s Head of Investigations, said: “We welcome today’s conviction of a Mr Nicolle for multiple offences linked to the illegal poisoning of Red Kites and Rooks around the village of Springholm. The placing of poison baits out in the open is illegal, dangerous and indiscriminate. It is exceedingly fortunate that Mr Nicolle’s repeated actions did not result in serious injury to a young child.
“The investigation of this case was an excellent example of partnership working. We would particularly like to thank Police Scotland, notably wildlife crime officer PC John Cowan, for their dogged determination to identify the perpetrator of these offences and to see them face justice, and to Procurators Fiscal from the Crown Office’s Wildlife and Environmental Crime Unit, for their diligent work in securing a conviction in such a complex case.”
Red Kites became extinct in Scotland in the 19th century due to persecution, but have been reintroduced in four areas, including Galloway. The reintroduction project here ran from 2001-04. Now, of an established Scottish population of around 450 pairs, Dumfries & Galloway contains about a third of these, making it the most important area of the country for these birds and their future conservation. In addition, the Galloway Red Kite Trail is a significant local tourist route, with over 100,000 visitors coming to the area to see the kites and contributing £8.2 million to the local economy between 2003-2015.
Red kite. Photo: Dick Forsman
Detective Inspector Dean Little, Senior Investigating Officer at Police Scotland, said: “Wildlife crime can be complex to investigate and difficult to prove in court. In this case local officers on the ground were able to promptly gather evidence and work with a number of partners who utilised specialist forensic methods to build a case against Nicolle.
“Scotland’s wildlife is one of its greatest attractions, which is especially true in our local area. Nicolle’s reckless use of illegal poison was not only selfish and damaging to the birds it killed, but also posed a risk to the environment and members of the public who came across them.
“I would like to thank the numerous partners who assisted in this case and members of the public who provided information and assisted police enquiries. Crimes against nature are not unpunishable and we welcome the sentencing today of Nicolle which shows our continued commitment to investigate wildlife crime and bring perpetrators to court.”
ENDS
Given the extent and seriousness of Nicolle’s crimes, I just can’t believe how lenient the Sheriff has been, although obviously he is constrained by sentencing guidelines.
It’s a complete replication of what happened when gamekeeper Alan Wilson was sentenced for his multiple offences at Longformacus in the Scottish Borders in 2019 (see here). Wilson also avoided jail, also avoided a fine and was just given a community payback order of 225 hours. It’s as though the Sheriffs in these cases are considering the offences as individual offences instead of looking at them as a cumulative pattern, which would easily then pass the custody threshold and exceed the 12 months limit.
Unfortunately, Nicolle committed his crimes prior to the enactment of the new Animals & Wildlife (Penalties, Protections & Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020; legislation that was introduced to increase the penalties available for certain wildlife crimes, including those under Section 1(1)(a) of the Wildlife & Countryside Act – ‘Intentionally, or recklessly, killing, injuring, or taking a wild bird‘.
Although, as we saw in a recent test case of this new legislation (the sentencing of a gamekeeper on Moy Estate for raptor-killing), it won’t necessarily lead to a significant punishment (see here).
I feel incredibly sorry for the multi-agency investigators in the latest case, who have clearly worked hard to bring a successful prosecution against Nicolle. In my opinion this pathetic sentence doesn’t reflect their efforts, doesn’t act as a deterrent for others, and certainly doesn’t reflect the seriousness of Nicolle’s crimes, which he knowingly committed, repeatedly, over a period of months.
Despite his conviction, this is a bad day for wildlife crime fighters.
UPDATE: The Crown Office has published the following statement, which provides a few more details:
MAN SENTENCED FOR POISONING WILD BIRDS
A 67-year-old waterfowl enthusiast has been sentenced for killing multiple birds of prey and other birds.
Barry Nicolle, who runs an exotic wildfowl breeding farm in Dumfries and Galloway, has been given a Community Payback Order and ordered to carry out 216 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty at Dumfries Sheriff Court to the indiscriminate use of banned poisons, which killed five red kites and ten rooks.
This believed to be the first Scottish conviction in which multiple birds of prey have been killed with poison.
He also pled guilty to possession of several highly toxic pesticides, using a crow trap illegally and an air weapon licensing offence.
Between May 2019 and February 2020 Nicolle laced bait including mandarin duckling and a mallard duck with banned pesticides. He also placed poisoned bread on fence posts around his land which is about 150m (164 yards) from Springholm Primary School.
All of this was done to attract and kill scavengers in a bid to protect his own collection of exotic and ornamental waterfowl from a perceived threat.
Speaking after the sentencing, Fiona Caldwell, who leads on wildlife and environmental crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said:
“Barry Nicolle’s actions led to the illegal killing of multiple Red Kite’s and Rooks.
“The laying of bait laced with poisons was shockingly irresponsible and Nicolle has shown an utter disregard for the wildlife laws which serve to protect these species.
“I would like to thank Police Scotland, RSPB Scotland, the Scottish SPCA, the SRUC Veterinary Investigation Centre and SASA for their part in investigating and gathering evidence of these repugnant offences.
“The law protects wild birds and those who seek to poison them or possess stocks of illegal poison can be assured that the Procurator Fiscal will continue to prosecute such cases and ensure that offenders face the consequences of their actions.”
The court heard that numerous reports of suspicious deaths of red kites in the Kirkpatrick Durham and Springholm areas were made to Police Scotland, RSPB and the Scottish SPCA Inspectors by members of the public.
Springholm is at the heart of the breeding red kite population’s range in South West Scotland making it a key area of the country for these birds and their future conservation.
Several red kite were found lying motionless on the ground in a distressed state and had to be euthanised. The ten poisoned rooks were found on the grounds of Springholm Primary School.
Subsequent post-mortem examinations by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) Veterinary Investigation Centre and toxicology analysis by the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) Chemistry Branch established a pattern and cause of death linked to a banned Carbofuran based pesticide called Aldicarb.
All the deaths centred around Nicolle’s property and as a result of these enquiries police applied for and were granted a warrant to search Wickerty Snook.
On the morning of 4 February 2020 police wildlife officers, along with an RSPB investigator, a SASA scientist and others executed the warrant.
During the search of Nicolle’s home, the poisons Aldicarb, Bendiocarb and Phostoxin, which contains aluminium phosphide, were found.
Poisoned bait and traps, including an untagged and therefore illegal Larsen trap, were found on his land.
Further to the news from the RSPB earlier this month that 20 hen harriers had ‘disappeared’ on English grouse moors between April 2022 and April 2023 (see here), leading to my updated tally of illegally killed/missing hen harriers since 2018 (n = 92), I’ve since realised that I forgot to add one of the brood-meddled hen harriers that ‘disappeared’ in Dec 2022 (a female, #R2-F2-20, who vanished in Cumbria). She has now been added to the list, below.
And further to the news yesterday that another satellite-tagged hen harrier has ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in the Bowland AONB (see here), I also need to add this harrier to the list.
So now the running tally is 94 illegally killed / ‘missing’ hen harriers since 2018.
Here’s the blog I always write after every reported killing or suspicious disappearance…
For anyone who still wants to pretend that the grouse shooting industry isn’t responsible for the systematic extermination of hen harriers on grouse moors across the UK, here’s the latest catalogue of crime that suggests otherwise.
This male hen harrier died in 2019 after his leg was almost severed in an illegally set trap that had been placed next to his nest on a Scottish grouse moor (see here). Photo by Ruth Tingay
“They disappear in the same way political dissidents in authoritarian dictatorships have disappeared” (Stephen Barlow, 22 January 2021).
I’ve been compiling this list only since 2018 because that is the year that the grouse shooting industry ‘leaders’ would have us believe that the criminal persecution of hen harriers had stopped and that these birds were being welcomed back on to the UK’s grouse moors (see here).
This assertion was made shortly before the publication of a devastating new scientific paper that demonstrated that 72% of satellite-tagged hen harriers were confirmed or considered likely to have been illegally killed, and this was ten times more likely to occur over areas of land managed for grouse shooting relative to other land uses (see here). Incidentally, a further scientific paper published in 2023 by scientists at the RSPB, utilising even more recent data, echoed these results – see here).
2018 was also the year that Natural England issued a licence to begin a hen harrier brood meddling trial on grouse moors in northern England. For new blog readers, hen harrier brood meddling is a conservation sham sanctioned by DEFRA as part of its ludicrous ‘Hen Harrier Action Plan‘ and carried out by Natural England (NE), in cahoots with the very industry responsible for the species’ catastrophic decline in England. For more background see here.
Brood meddling has been described as a sort of ‘gentleman’s agreement’ by commentator Stephen Welch:
“I don’t get it, I thought the idea of that scheme was some kind of trade off – a gentleman’s agreement that the birds would be left in peace if they were moved from grouse moors at a certain density. It seems that one party is not keeping their side of the bargain“.
With at least 94 hen harriers gone since 2018, there is no question that the grouse shooting industry is simply taking the piss. Meanwhile, Natural England pretends that ‘partnership working’ is the way to go and DEFRA Ministers remain silent.
‘Partnership working’ according to Natural England appears to include authorising the removal of hen harrier chicks from a grouse moor already under investigation by the police for suspected raptor persecution (here) and accepting a £75k ‘donation’ from representatives of the grouse shooting industry that prevents Natural England from criticising them or the sham brood meddling trial (see here). This is in addition to a £10k ‘donation’ that Natural England accepted, under the same terms, in 2021 (here).
Cartoon by Gerard Hobley
So here’s the latest gruesome list. Note that the majority of these birds (but not all) were fitted with satellite tags. How many more [untagged] harriers have been killed?
February 2018: Hen harrier Saorsa ‘disappeared’ in the Angus Glens in Scotland (here). The Scottish Gamekeepers Association later published wholly inaccurate information claiming the bird had been re-sighted. The RSPB dismissed this as “completely false” (here).
5 February 2018: Hen harrier Marc ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in Durham (here).
9 February 2018: Hen harrier Aalin ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in Wales (here).
March 2018: Hen harrier Blue ‘disappeared’ in the Lake District National Park (here).
March 2018: Hen harrier Finn ‘disappeared’ near Moffat in Scotland (here).
18 April 2018: Hen harrier Lia ‘disappeared’ in Wales and her corpse was retrieved in a field in May 2018. Cause of death was unconfirmed but police treating death as suspicious (here).
8 August 2018: Hen harrier Hilma ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in Northumberland (here).
16 August 2018: Hen harrier Athena ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in Scotland (here).
26 August 2018: Hen Harrier Octavia ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in the Peak District National Park (here).
29 August 2018: Hen harrier Margot ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in Scotland (here).
29 August 2018: Hen Harrier Heulwen ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in Wales (here).
3 September 2018: Hen harrier Stelmaria ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in Scotland (here).
24 September 2018: Hen harrier Heather ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in Scotland (here).
2 October 2018: Hen harrier Mabel ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here).
3 October 2018: Hen Harrier Thor ‘disappeared’ next to a grouse moor in Bowland, Lanacashire (here).
23 October 2018: Hen harrier Tom ‘disappeared’ in South Wales (here).
26 October 2018: Hen harrier Arthur ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in the North York Moors National Park (here).
1 November 2018: Hen harrier Barney ‘disappeared’ on Bodmin Moor (here).
10 November 2018: Hen harrier Rannoch ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in Scotland (here). Her corpse was found nearby in May 2019 – she’d been killed in an illegally-set spring trap (here).
14 November 2018: Hen harrier River ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in the Nidderdale AONB (here). Her corpse was found nearby in April 2019 – she’d been illegally shot (here).
16 January 2019: Hen harrier Vulcan ‘disappeared’ in Wiltshire close to Natural England’s proposed reintroduction site (here).
7 February 2019: Hen harrier Skylar ‘disappeared’ next to a grouse moor in South Lanarkshire (here).
22 April 2019: Hen harrier Marci ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in the Cairngorms National Park (here).
26 April 2019: Hen harrier Rain ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in Nairnshire (here).
11 May 2019: An untagged male hen harrier was caught in an illegally-set trap next to his nest on a grouse moor in South Lanarkshire. He didn’t survive (here).
7 June 2019: An untagged hen harrier was found dead on a grouse moor in Scotland. A post mortem stated the bird had died as a result of ‘penetrating trauma’ injuries and that this bird had previously been shot (here).
5 September 2019: Wildland Hen Harrier 1 ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor nr Dalnaspidal on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park (here).
11 September 2019: Hen harrier Romario ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in the Cairngorms National Park (here).
14 September 2019: Hen harrier (Brood meddled in 2019, #183704) ‘disappeared’ in the North Pennines (here).
23 September 2019: Hen harrier (Brood meddled in 2019, #55149) ‘disappeared’ in North Pennines (here).
24 September 2019: Wildland Hen Harrier 2 ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor at Invercauld in the Cairngorms National Park (here).
24 September 2019: Hen harrier Bronwyn ‘disappeared’ near a grouse moor in North Wales (here).
10 October 2019: Hen harrier Ada ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in the North Pennines AONB (here).
12 October 2019: Hen harrier Thistle ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in Sutherland (here).
18 October 2019: Member of the public reports the witnessed shooting of an untagged male hen harrier on White Syke Hill in North Yorkshire (here).
November 2019: Hen harrier Mary found illegally poisoned on a pheasant shoot in Ireland (here).
14 December 2019: Hen harrier Oscar ‘disappeared’ in Eskdalemuir, south Scotland (here).
January 2020: Members of the public report the witnessed shooting of a male hen harrier on Threshfield Moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here).
23 March 2020: Hen harrier Rosie ‘disappeared’ at an undisclosed roost site in Northumberland (here).
1 April 2020: Hen harrier (Brood meddled in 2019, #183703) ‘disappeared’ in unnamed location, tag intermittent (here).
5 April 2020: Hen harrier Hoolie ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in the Cairngorms National Park (here)
8 April 2020: Hen harrier Marlin ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in the Cairngorms National Park (here).
19 May 2020: Hen harrier Fingal ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in the Lowther Hills, Scotland (here).
21 May 2020: Hen harrier (Brood meddled in 2019, #183701) ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in Cumbria shortly after returning from wintering in France (here).
27 May 2020: Hen harrier Silver ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor on Leadhills Estate, Scotland (here).
2020: day/month unknown: Unnamed male hen harrier breeding on RSPB Geltsdale Reserve, Cumbria ‘disappeared’ while away hunting (here).
9 July 2020: Unnamed female hen harrier (#201118) ‘disappeared’ from an undisclosed site in Northumberland (here).
25 July 2020: Hen harrier Harriet ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here).
14 August 2020: Hen harrier Solo ‘disappeared’ in confidential nest area in Lancashire (here).
7 September 2020: Hen harrier Dryad ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here).
16 September 2020: Hen harrier Fortune ‘disappeared’ from an undisclosed roost site in Northumberland (here).
19 September 2020: Hen harrier Harold ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here).
20 September 2020: Hen harrier (Brood meddled in 2020, #55152) ‘disappeared’ next to a grouse moor in North Yorkshire (here).
24 February 2021: Hen harrier Tarras ‘disappeared’ next to a grouse moor in Northumberland (here)
12th April 2021: Hen harrier Yarrow ‘disappeared’ near Stockton, County Durham (here).
18 May 2021: Adult male hen harrier ‘disappeared’ from its breeding attempt on RSPB Geltsdale Reserve, Cumbria whilst away hunting (here).
18 May 2021: Another adult male hen harrier ‘disappeared’ from its breeding attempt on RSPB Geltsdale Reserve, Cumbria whilst away hunting (here).
24 July 2021: Hen harrier Asta ‘disappeared’ at a ‘confidential site’ in the North Pennines (here). We learned 18 months later that her wings had been ripped off so her tag could be fitted to a crow in an attempt to cover up her death (here).
14th August 2021: Hen harrier Josephine ‘disappeared’ at a ‘confidential site’ in Northumberland (here).
17 September 2021: Hen harrier Reiver ‘disappeared’ in a grouse moor dominated region of Northumberland (here)
24 September 2021: Hen harrier (Brood meddled in 2021, R2-F-1-21) ‘disappeared’ in Northumberland (here).
15 November 2021: Hen harrier (brood meddled in 2020, #R2-F1-20) ‘disappeared’ at the edge of a grouse moor on Arkengarthdale Estate in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here).
19 November 2021: Hen harrier Val ‘disappeared’ in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria (here).
19 November 2021: Hen harrier Percy ‘disappeared’ in Lothian, Scotland (here).
12 December 2021: Hen harrier Jasmine ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor (High Rigg Moor on the Middlesmoor Estate) in the Nidderdale AONB in North Yorkshire (here).
9 January 2022: Hen harrier Ethel ‘disappeared’ in Northumberland (here).
26 January 2022: Hen harrier Amelia ‘disappeared’ in Bowland (here).
10 February 2022: An unnamed satellite-tagged hen harrier ‘disappeared’ in a grouse moor dominated area of the Peak District National Park (here). One year later it was revealed that the satellite tag/harness of this young male called ‘Anu’ had been deliberately cut off (see here).
12 April 2022: Hen harrier ‘Free’ (Tag ID 201121) ‘disappeared’ at a ‘confidential site’ in Cumbria (here). It later emerged he hadn’t disappeared, but his mutilated corpse was found on moorland in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. A post mortem revealed the cause of death was having his head twisted and pulled off. One leg had also been torn off whilst he was still alive (here).
April 2022: Hen harrier ‘Pegasus’ (tagged by the RSPB) ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor at Birkdale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here).
May 2022: A male breeding hen harrier ‘disappeared’ from a National Trust-owned grouse moor in the Peak District National Park (here).
May 2022: Another breeding male hen harrier ‘disappeared’ from a National Trust-owned grouse moor in the Peak District National Park (here).
14 May 2022: Hen harrier ‘Harvey’ (Tag ID 213844) ‘disappeared’ from a ‘confidential site’ in the North Pennines (here).
20 June 2022: Hen harrier chick #1 stamped to death in nest on a grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here).
20 June 2022: Hen harrier chick #2 stamped to death in nest on a grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here).
20 June 2022: Hen harrier chick #3 stamped to death in nest on a grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here).
20 June 2022: Hen harrier chick #4 stamped to death in nest on a grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here).
17 August 2022: Hen harrier (brood meddled in 2022, #R1-M1-22) ‘disappeared’ on moorland in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here).
September 2022: Hen harrier ‘Sullis’ (tagged by the RSPB) ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in Cumbria (here).
5 October 2022: Hen harrier (brood meddled in 2022, #R3-M2-22) ‘disappeared’ on moorland in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here).
10 October 2022: Hen harrier ‘Sia’ ‘disappeared’ near Hamsterley Forest in the North Pennines (here).
October 2022: Hen harrier (brood meddled in 2021, #R1-F1-21) ‘disappeared’ in the North Sea off the North York Moors National Park (here).
December 2022: Hen harrier female (brood meddled in 2020, #R2-F2-20) ‘disappeared’ on moorland in Cumbria (here).
1 December 2022: Hen harrier male (brood meddled in 2021, #R1-M1-21) ‘disappeared’ on moorland in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here).
14 December 2022: Hen harrier female (brood meddled in 2022, #R3-F1-22) ‘disappeared’ on moorland in the North Pennines AONB (here).
15 December 2022: Hen harrier female (brood meddled in 2022, #R2-F1-22) ‘disappeared’ on moorland in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here).
March 2023: Unnamed male hen harrier (tagged by Natural England – details not yet released) ‘disappeared’ in North Yorkshire (here).
April 2023: Unnamed female hen harrier (tagged by Natural England – details not yet released) ‘disappeared’ in North Yorkshire (here).
April 2023: Hen harrier ‘Lagertha’ (tagged by RSPB) ‘disappeared’ in North Yorkshire (here).
April 2023: Hen harrier ‘Nicola’ (Tag ID 234078) ”disappeared’ in North Yorkshire (here).
April 2023: Untagged male hen harrier ‘disappeared’ from an active nest on RSPB Geltsdale Reserve in Cumbria (here).
April 2023: Another untagged male hen harrier ‘disappeared’ from an active nest on RSPB Geltsdale Reserve in Cumbria (here).
April 2023: Untagged male hen harrier ‘disappeared’ from an active nest in Durham (see here).
4/5 May 2023: Satellite-tagged hen harrier (ID not yet released) ‘disappeared’ from grouse moor in Bowland AONB in Lancashire (here).
To be continued…….
Not one of these 94 incidents has resulted in an arrest, let alone a prosecution. I had thought that when we reached 30 dead/missing hen harriers then the authorities might pretend to be interested and at least say a few words about this national scandal. We’ve now reached NINETY FOUR hen harriers, and still Govt ministers remain silent. They appear not to give a monkey’s. And yes, there are other things going on in the world, as always. That is not reason enough to ignore this blatant, brazen and systematic destruction of a supposedly protected species, being undertaken to satisfy the greed and bloodlust of a minority of society.
Lancashire Police are appealing for information after the sudden ‘disappearance’ of a satellite-tagged hen harrier earlier this month.
This was posted on the Lancashire Rural Police Facebook page yesterday:
‘Following information being received that a sat tagged hen harrier had gone missing, and the tag suffering catastrophic failure, we have been working with our colleagues in the National Wildlife Crime Unit to try to locate the bird.
Today we have conducted a section 19 search, utilising tracking equipment, where the harrier was last known to be, this was in the Mallowdale area near to Kirkby Lonsdale.
Unfortunately we were not successful in locating the bird, which went missing over the 4th and 5th May, we are asking for anyone who has any information to contact Lancashire Police Rural Crime Task force via 101 or email RuralTaskForce@lancashire.police.uk and quote log number LC-20230516-0307‘.
There aren’t yet any further details about which hen harrier this is.
The harrier ‘disappeared’ the same day that the RSPB announced that 20 hen harriers had ‘vanished’ in the last year alone, most of them on grouse moors (here) and the day before Natural England described the mutilation of another hen harrier, whose leg and head had been ripped off whilst the bird was still alive (here).
The latest disappearance took place a week before the RSPB published a new scientific paper which confirms the ongoing and illegal killing of hen harriers on UK grouse moors (see here).
The latest ‘disappearance’ also coincided with Natural England’s announcement that the five-year hen harrier brood meddling ‘trial’ (conservation sham) is set to continue for a further five years (here), despite knowing that at least 92 hen harriers have been confirmed killed or have ‘disappeared’ since the ‘trial’ began in 2018 (here).
Now there’s yet another one to add to the list. This is the 8th hen harrier to ‘vanish’ since the start of this year, and it’s still only May.
How many more?
UPDATE 19th May 2023: The Forest of Bowland AONB posted the following on its website yesterday:
Yesterday, Lancashire Police’s Rural Crime Taskforce reported the disappearance of a satellite-tagged hen harrier in the Forest of Bowland AONB.
The bird went missing, with the tag suffering catastrophic failure, over 4th/ 5th May in Mallowdale, an area of moorland to the south of the village of Wray. The Rural Taskforce and National Wildlife Crime Unit have since carried out a search of the area but have been unsuccessful in locating the missing bird.
Lancashire Police have issued an appeal to the public for information. Please contact the Rural Crime Taskforce via 101 or email RuralTaskForce@lancashire.police.uk and quote log number LC-20230516-0307.
Elliott Lorimer, Forest of Bowland AONB Partnership Manager commented:
“The disappearance and failure of this satellite tagged Hen harrier is very concerning. The Forest of Bowland is often considered a stronghold for this protected species, with conservation efforts in the area aiding the recovery of this threatened bird. So, any loss in such circumstances is particularly upsetting. I would strongly urge members of the public to contact Lancashire Police if they have any information that could relate to the disappearance of this bird.”
ENDS
UPDATE 6th June 2023: The RSPB has just issued a press release about this hen harrier, which was named ‘Rush’ – see here.
Here are two rare opportunities to join the RSPB’s Investigations Team in Scotland, on the frontline of tackling the ongoing illegal killing of birds of prey.
Here is the job spec, announced today:
Position 1: Full-time, 37.5 hrs per week, permanent.
Position 2: Full-time, 37.5 hrs per week, fixed-term until 31st March 2025.
Salary range: £30,940 to £33,215 per annum.
Closing date: Sunday 11th June 2023.
The RSPB Investigations team has two vacancies in Scotland, and is looking for enthusiastic, organised and committed individuals to join us in helping ensure a better future for our wildlife. This is a rare opportunity to join a dedicated team in the fight against wildlife crime and to really make a difference!
Across Scotland, our magnificent birds of prey continue to be illegally persecuted, with some of our rarest species such as golden eagles, hen harriers, red kites and peregrines regularly targeted. These two roles will be focussed on fieldwork, with the aim of detecting, recording, analysis and dissemination of information on wildlife crime, particularly in relation to priority species and habitats.
An RSPB Investigator collecting a poisoned golden eagle. Photo: RSPB
If you could thrive in a dynamic, challenging environment where you will have the opportunity to contribute your own ideas within a unique and specialised team, then this could be the perfect opportunity for you!
The successful applicant will need to be based in Scotland and prepared to travel throughout the Scottish uplands and occasionally further afield. Some evening and/or weekend work may also be required.
What’s the role about?
These roles involve working on the front line, following up reports of dead birds, monitoring the nests of some of our rarest breeding species, and carrying out targeted fieldwork in areas with a history of criminal activity.
An enthusiastic, professional approach to fieldwork is essential. You will be spending a lot of time outside in remote upland environments where excellent navigation skills, confidence in working alone, and health & safety awareness are imperative. You will also need excellent bird identification skills and a comprehensive working knowledge of Scotland’s birds of prey.
Engagement with external partners such as the police and statutory agencies through providing advice, expert witness, and investigative help will be a key part of the role.
You need to be robust, persistent, focused, show initiative and be able to work calmly in pressured situations.
Essential skills, knowledge and experience:
A degree in ecology or conservation and/or relevant practical experience
Ability to undertake demanding fieldwork in remote locations, whether alone or as part of a small team, in all weather and over rough terrain
Comprehensive knowledge of wild birds, with experience in raptor monitoring
Knowledge of Scottish wildlife protection legislation
Knowledge of RSPB’s Investigations team priorities and work
Experience of practical conservation delivery in support of species & habitat conservation
Proven IT skills including MS Office software especially Excel, Outlook and Teams
A confident and personable manner, able to liaise professionally with enforcement partners, and also to handle reports of wildlife crime with understanding and empathy, sometimes in sensitive situations
Full, manual driving licence, valid in the UK
Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:
Knowledge of gamebird management practices
Experience of specialist software eg GIS
Experience of working with Police standards for information management/best practice, and/or statutory agencies, media, or law enforcement partners
Knowledge of data protection regulations
Knowledge and experience in the use of satellite transmitters to monitor birds of prey
Confident speaking in public eg. giving presentations, media interviews or giving evidence in court
We are looking to fill two roles as part of this vacancy:
One is a permanent position working 37.5 hours per week;
The other is a fixed-term contract until 31 March 2025, also working 37.5 hours per week. The RSPB reserves the right to extend or make this role permanent without further advertising dependent on business needs at the end of the contract term.
We are looking to conduct interviews for these positions from 19th June 2023. For further information please contact william.hayward@rspb.org.uk
As part of this application process you will be asked to complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.
We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.
The RSPB is a licenced sponsor. This role is eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship
The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Press release from League Against Cruel Sports (16th May 2023)
HISTORIC VOTE TO BAN SNARES IN WALES
Leading animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports has praised politicians in Wales following a crucial vote on snaring.
A vote in the Senedd on Tuesday night has paved the way for a complete ban in Wales on cruel traps known as snares, the first country in the UK to take this big step forward for animal welfare.
A snare placed close to a ‘stink pit’ (a heap of rotting animals) designed to attract predators. Photo: OneKind
The vote to ban snares was part of the stage three debate on the Agriculture (Wales) Bill, during which amendments designed to water down the snares ban were defeated.
The legislative process now moves on to the fourth and final stage in which the Senedd is expected to ratify the bill as early as next week, subject to King’s consent.
It follows over five years of campaigning by animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports.
Will Morton, head of public affairs at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “Wales is leading the way in animal welfare by being the first country to ban these cruel and indiscriminate traps.
“We thank the thousands of campaigners who are backing the ban in Wales and the MSs who gave cross party support to make it become a reality.”
The debate on Tuesday evening saw the defeat of amendments to allow so-called ‘humane cable restraints’, a term used by the shooting industry lobby to try and mask the cruelty of these devices.
Snares are cruel wire traps – nearly quarter of a million lie hidden in the British countryside at any one time – and are used by shooting industry gamekeepers on ‘game’ bird shoots to trap wildlife.
They tighten around the neck, torso or legs of the animal and cause immense pain and suffering to their trapped victims for hours or days before the animal is either shot or faces a lingering death.
They trap indiscriminately and government figures from Defra show nearly three quarters of the animals caught are not the intended target species.
Polling carried out by YouGov in January 2021 showed 78 per cent of the Welsh public wanted snares to be made illegal.
Once the Agriculture (Wales) Bill is passed – something that is all but inevitable – it will then come into force two months after receiving royal assent.
Will added: “The ban on the use of snares will protect wild, farmed and domestic animals from falling victim to these brutal devices, a move that will be welcomed by the vast majority of the Welsh people.
“The next step is to lobby the UK and Scottish governments to follow the precedence set in Wales and to ban these barbaric devices.”
ENDS
The Scottish Parliament is set to debate the use of animal snares at stage 2 of its Wildlife and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill, which is anticipated to take place in early autumn. Last month animal welfare charity OneKind published a new report on snaring (see here) and has campaigned for a complete ban on snares in Scotland, along with another REVIVE coalition member, League Against Cruel Sports Scotland.
POLICE IN BALLYMENA APPEAL FOR INFORMATION FOLLOWING DISCOVERY OF TWO WHITE-TAILED EAGLES
Police are investigating the circumstances following the discovery of two dead white-tailed eagles, in the Glenhead Road area of Ballymena on Monday, 15th May.
The two dead white-tailed eagles. Photo by Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group
Police Service of Northern Ireland Lead for Rural and Wildlife Crime, Superintendent McDowell said: “A report was made to police shortly before 2pm on Monday , after the discovery of two white-tailed eagles found beside one another.
“The birds had no obvious signs of injury and suspicions have been raised given the unlikely position where they were found.
“An investigation has now commenced, with a post-mortem examination due to be carried out to determine the cause of death“.
The white-tailed eagle is the UK’s largest native bird of prey, with a vast wing span of up to 2.5 metres, and are an incredibly beautiful species, which makes the discovery of these dead birds very distressing.
In particular, we are aware one of the birds was born in Norway and brought as a chick to be released in the lower Shannon estuary in 2022.
Following the launch of Op Subrision last week, our dedicated policing operation to combat rural and wildlife crime, we want the public to be reassured, we take all wildlife crime extremely seriously and are committed to investigating all instances of wildlife crime which are reported to police.
If you have any information that can help with our investigation, please contact police on the non-emergency number 101 and quote 1906 16/05/23.
YOUNG WHITE-TAILED EAGLES FOUND DEAD IN COUNTRY ANTRIM
Two White-tailed eagles have been found dead lying side by side in the Glenwherry area of Co. Antrim on Monday the 15th of May 2023. Both birds were immature eagles, not yet of breeding age. One of them was a bird released in the Lower Shannon Estuary in August 2022 by National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) as part of the reintroduction programme, having been collected from Norway during 2022. The second bird was an unmarked immature bird of unknown origin, likely from Scotland or Ireland. They were found only a few metres apart and appeared to have died in recent days.
Photo: Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group
Once relatively common on many mountainous and coastal areas White-tailed eagles were celebrated and revered for centuries. However attitudes towards birds of prey changed from admiration to hatred and intolerance by the 17th century and systematic killing, along with widespread habitat change, led to the extinction of White-tailed eagles from the island of Ireland in 1912. Thanks to reintroduction efforts the first successful breeding White-tailed eagles in over 100 years produced a single chick in 2013. These eagles take 4-5 years to reach maturity and typically only produce 1-2 chicks per year. This means that the population remains extremely vulnerable. The loss of these two young birds is a real blow to the recovery of the population in the UK and Ireland.
Birds of prey, which are essential in balancing a healthy ecosystem, continue to be been illegally targeted to such an extent some areas are at risk of losing their natural top predators again. Some of the toxins used to poison birds of prey are banned substances and are extremely dangerous, not only to wildlife but also livestock, pets and people.
Dr Eimear Rooney of the Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group (NIRSG) stated:
“Finding such magnificent birds dead is just heart-breaking and we sincerely hope that they are not poisoned or illegally killed although the circumstances of finding two birds dead beside each other is highly irregular and suspicious and they have been collected by the PSNI for post-mortem to establish the cause of death”.
Eimear continued: “I would like to commend the PSNI on their rapid response and recovery of the two birds for testing. The reality is that often these birds are found in remote areas and we rely on information from the public and landowners to understand the circumstances which led to the death of these birds.”
If any member of the public has any suspicions, information, photographs or dash cam footage or knows of illegal or unusual activity or people in the Glenwherry region, (including Starbog Road, Shillanavogy Road, Glenhead Road, Drumcrow Road, or Glenview Road), please report these to the PSNI on 101 or online https://www.psni.police.uk/report, or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Please refer to the crime reference number 1096 of the 15-5-23.
Any photographs of these birds would also be very helpful to help establish their whereabouts over recent days and these can be sent to NIRSG here.
ENDS
Glenwherry. Hmm. Let’s wait for the post mortem results…
UPDATE 7th July 2023: Police confirm 2 x white-tailed eagles found dead on a grouse moor in Northern Ireland were illegally poisoned (here)
Last August the RSPB called for an immediate moratorium on the release of birds for shooting, such as pheasants, partridges and ducks, due to the risk of them spreading highly pathogenic avian flu to wild bird populations (see here).
DEFRA chose to ignore the call.
Released pheasants moving from a ‘release wood’ to cover crops on an estate in the Cotswolds AONB (Photo: Ruth Tingay)
Now the RSPB is repeating the call, this time to DEFRA and the devolved governments, asking them to take a precautionary approach ‘to limit the spread of avian influenza in wild birds and reduce the risk of viral re-assortment leading to new strains of the disease’.
In a blog written two days ago by RSPB Senior Policy Officer Claire Smith (well worth a read – here), the RSPB says that since 2021 there have been 10 outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in gamebird rearing premises: one in Scotland, five in England and four in Wales. This includes the most recent at Bettws Hall Game Farm, near Newtown, Powys, here, which has been described as ‘Europe’s leading game hatchery’.
Claire also points to DEFRA’s risk assessment on the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) from pheasants to wild birds, which concluded that the risk of transmission to birds of prey from pheasants infected with HPAIV before release is ‘high to very high’, and the risk of transmission to birds of prey from pheasants infected with HPAIV after release is ‘very high’.
Raptor Persecution UK 