Police Scotland has launched a murder enquiry following the shooting of Brian Low, 65, who was out walking his dog on a remote track in Aberfeldy, Perthshire on 17th February 2024 (see here).
Mr Low had worked as a groundsman for the nearby notorious Edradynate Estate for more than twenty years before retiring last year.
Edradynate Estate driveway. Photo by Ruth Tingay
As many newspapers have been reporting, Edradynate Estate has been at the centre of multiple police investigations over the years, mostly in relation to the illegal poisoning of birds of prey (some details provided here on former Tayside Police Wildlife Crime Officer Alan Stewart’s blog), although if you read Alan’s book ‘Wildlife Detective’ you learn that there were also allegations of local’s dogs and cats being poisoned, a tenant farmer’s dog being shot, and threatening behaviour towards a local resident who had run over a pheasant.
Despite a handful of prosecutions over the years, nobody has ever been convicted of these offences, although Edradynate Estate was the subject of a three-year General Licence Restriction between 2017-2020 in relation to wildlife crimes (see here).
The estate was in the news again in 2019 when the former Head Gamekeeper was cleared of maliciously damaging crops on the Estate, alleged to have been done in revenge for losing his job (see here).
There is no suggestion whatsoever that anyone from Edradynate Estate is involved with Mr Low’s murder but it’s reasonable to assume, as in any murder inquiry, his long-term employment there will form part of the police investigation into his background and to identify any possible motives for this murder.
Police Scotland have been undertaking local enquiries for the last ten days prior to publicising the news of Mr Low’s murder. I sincerely hope they have been able to identify a suspect and that they find sufficient evidence to convict for this appalling crime.
They have opened a Major Incident Portal where members of the public can provide information directly to the investigating team (named Operation Newlane): CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 13 March 2024: Renewed appeal from Police Scotland following murder of Brian Low in Aberfeldy (here)
UPDATE 13 March 2024: The Daily Mail is reporting suggestions that Brian Low was shot at long range (here).
UPDATE 24 May 2024: Police arrest 75-year old man in connection with murder of Brian Low in Aberfeldy (here)
UPDATE 25th May 2024: David Campbell charged with murder of Edradynate Estate’s former groundsman Brian Low (here)
UPDATE 28 May 2024: Retired Edradynate Estate gamekeeper David Campbell appears in court accused of shotgun murder of Brian Low (here)
UPDATE 4 June 2024: Retired gamekeeper David Campbell accused of shotgun murder is granted bail – Crown Office appeals Sheriff’s decision (here)
UPDATE 8 June 2024: Former Edradynate Estate gamekeeper & murder suspect David Campbell refused bail (here)
The trial of prominent falconer and eagle breeder Andrew Knowles-Brown from Elvanfoot, Scotland continues at Lanark Sheriff Court today with another expert witness appearing for the prosecution.
This is the second trial Knowles-Brown has faced – in February 2023 he was cleared of all charges at Lanark Sheriff Court in relation to the alleged mistreatment of ten imported White-bellied sea eagles at the Scottish Eagle Centre (see here).
The current trial is separate to the first one and is concerned with alleged welfare offences relating to 90 eagles kept at Knowles-Brown’s breeding facility in Scotland. Knowles-Brown has denied all the charges.
Knowles-Brown is a prominent figure in the falconry world, having served as the Chair of the Scottish Hawk Board and Vice-Chair of the UK Hawk Board. The Hawk Board, which includes a representative from the Countryside Alliance, represents falconers, hawk-keepers and falconry clubs and provides welfare guidelines for those keeping raptors in captivity. It also engages in political lobbying (e.g. it was against the Scottish Government’s decision to afford the Mountain Hare full legal protection) and Knowles-Brown himself has provided evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs Committee when it was considering its draft Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill.
This second trial began last summer (see here) and looks set to continue for some time.
Please note: as the case is still live, comments won’t be accepted on this blog until proceedings have concluded. Thanks for your understanding.
UPDATE 15 October 2024: Prominent falconer & eagle breeder Andrew Knowles-Brown guilty of welfare offences relating to approx 90 eagles in Scotland (here)
The Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs & Islands Committee met again on Wednesday 21st February to undertake its second day of consideration of the Stage 2 amendments of the Wildlife Management (grouse moor reform) Bill.
For new readers, this is proposed new legislation to regulate grouse shooting and its associated management practices by way of licensing schemes, introduced because of the continued illegal persecution of birds of prey on many Scottish grouse moors.
A report on what happened during the first day of consideration that took place two weeks ago can be found here.
Newly appointed Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie MSP was in the hot seat. Screengrab from Scottish Parliament TV, 21 Feb 2024
Two separate sessions were required on Wednesday (one in the morning and one in the evening) to get through all the amendments, bringing Stage 2 of this Bill to a close.
Newly-appointed Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie MSP led the Government’s response, taking over from Gillian Martin MSP whose Ministerial responsibilities have been moved elsewhere after the recent mini-reshuffle.
There were two other new faces on the Committee – Emma Harper MSP (SNP) who replaces former Committee member Jim Fairlie, and Elena Whitham MSP (SNP) who replaces former Committee member Karen Adam MSP who left after taking on commitments on a different Committee.
Other MSPs in attendance were Edward Mountain MSP (Conservative), Jamie Halco Johnstone MSP (Conservative, representing Stephen Kerr MSP) and Colin Smyth MSP (Labour), none of whom were eligible to vote on the Stage 2 amendments but who were present to speak to amendments they had lodged.
Wednesday’s two sessions were straight forward and once again there weren’t any big surprises with Committee members mostly voting along party lines, which meant that the numerous wrecking amendments put forward by the Conservatives, designed to weaken the Bill, were not supported by the majority. It also meant that various amendments put forward by Colin Smyth MSP (Labour), designed to strengthen the Bill, were also unsupported by the majority. Overall, the Bill passed Stage 2 pretty much in the format that the Government had introduced it, which is what had been anticipated.
I won’t go through the amendments one by one because there were too many. For those interested in proceedings the archive video of the two meetings are linked below, as is the meeting transcript.
The big ‘wins’ from our perspective were as follows:
There was majority support for Ministers to be given the power to add additional gamebird species to the licence if there is evidence that wildlife crime, such as raptor persecution, is taking place to facilitate the management of gamebirds such as pheasants and red-legged partridge. Ministers will have the authority to take evidence, consult and then vote on adding those species to the licence at a later date, if deemed appropriate.
This is a very important amendment especially given the recent trend in the release of red-legged partridge on grouse moors where shooting red grouse is no longer a viable commercial activity. Red-legged partridge and/or pheasants may be used by some grouse shooting estates as an alternative quarry if their licence for shooting red grouse has been revoked so having the power to include these additional species on the licence will close the loophole that some grouse moor managers may have sought to exploit in order to continue killing raptors without consequence. Amendments seeking to exclude this provision were lodged by Conservatives Edward Mountain and Rachael Hamilton but they were not supported.
Red-legged partridge pens placed on a moor in south Scotland
There was support for an amendment that provides a requirement for the use of medicated grit to be included in the Code of Practice being developed to support the new legislation. This is a timely amendment given the research published last week by the League Against Cruel Sports and Wild Justice that demonstrated widespread bad practice and the complete lack of monitoring of medicated grit use (see here).
REVIVE, the coalition for grouse moor reform has just released a campaign video to highlight those findings:
The details of what requirements will be made in the Code of Practice in relation to the use of medicated grit are still to be determined but the Government’s support for medicated grit use to be included is very good news indeed, especially when some grouse shooting organisations have been arguing against its inclusion.
The Minister discussed his intention to introduce a requirement in the Bill to undertake monitoring and reporting of raptor populations – specifically golden eagle, hen harrier and peregrine, species identified in the Werritty Review as being significantly impacted by raptor persecution crimes on grouse moors.
This monitoring would provide a key measure of success (or failure) of the Bill to tackle raptor persecution, which is one of its primary objectives, and whether the new legislation has been effective in this respect. The Minister said he would return to this issue at Stage 3 after discussions with NatureScot and the Scottish Raptor Study Group about the resources required to undertake monitoring and reporting. Rachael Hamilton lodged an amendment that called for a limit on the reporting of some raptor persecution incidents – she wanted to only include crimes that had been proven by conviction. In other words, to exclude incidents described as ‘suspicious’ such as those relating to the suspicious disappearance of satellite-tagged raptors on grouse moors. Her amendment was not supported.
One of the most significant ‘wins’ came from the majority vote to support the introduction of additional powers for the Scottish SPCA to allow them to investigate offences under the Wildlife & Countryside Act – an extension of their current powers to investigate offences under the Animal Health & Welfare Act. As regular blog readers will know, this issue has been kicked down the road repeatedly by the Scottish Government over a 13-year period (see here for timeline) so getting support after so long is particularly satisfying.
Of course there were the usual inaccurate and non-sensical objections from the Conservatives, with Edward Mountain claiming this “would give powers to people who have never had such powers before” and “It should be the police, not other people, who implement the law” and “It would give powers to third parties who I do not believe are qualified or have the legal training to exercise such powers“.
These continued claims about the SSPCA’s supposed inexperience and inability to investigate wildlife crime are laughable, given that they’re already an official specialist reporting agency to the Crown Office so know all about due process, they already work in partnership with Police Scotland and other agencies in raptor persecution investigations, and through their skill, experience and expertise routinely bring some of the most sadistic wildlife-abusers to justice, including badger baiters such as the recent case against a depraved gamekeeper employed on the Millden Estate in the Angus Glens (here). Edward Mountain should be thanking the Scottish SPCA for its tireless and often challenging work, and its willingness to undertake even more of it under this new legislation at no cost to the tax payer. Seriously, who would want to oppose the addition of more expert professionals to bring the wildlife criminals to justice?
Another big win came via Kate Forbes’s amendment to see the closing of the muirburn season brought forward to 31st March. Currently, gamekeepers can burn heather up until 15th April, and in some cases even to the 30th April where landowner discretion allows. This late season burning overlaps with the breeding season of various moorland bird species, and when that breeding season is predicted to get earlier in response to climate change it’s obviously idiotic to allow burning to continue during that period, just on the precautionary principle alone.
Grouse moor muirburn. Photo: Ruth Tingay
The 31st March was seen as a compromise as Conservatives Edward Mountain and Rachael Hamilton wanted burning to be permitted until 30th April whereas Green MSP Ariane Burgess suggested 15th March. There will be powers in the Bill to allow Ministers to review the 31st March cut off date to take account of future research findings.
Given that the majority of muirburn in Scotland currently takes place in April, the grouse shooting industry will not be at all happy with this new restriction. They’ve lobbied hard against it, including taking the newly-appointed Minister Jim Fairlie out to visit a muirburn site at the beginning of the week, but their lobbying influence is clearly not as powerful as they like to suggest it is.
They do have some influence, of course. Bizarrely, Kate Forbes found support amongst the Committee for another, related amendment, which will allow the beginning of the muirburn season to start two weeks earlier (i.e. 15th September as opposed to the current start date of 1st October). There is no justification for this other than to appease the grouse shooters by not shortening the overall muirburn season. In a climate emergency, this is bonkers. It suggests that the Scottish Government thinks that burning the moors to facilitate excessively large numbers of red grouse for a few selfish people to shoot for fun is more important than the global climate crisis. Actually it does more than suggest it – the Scottish Government was clear in its argument against Colin Smyth’s amendment (#143) that it thinks muirburn is acceptable for the sole purpose of maintaining & increasing red grouse so they can be shot for ‘sport’.
Although how much muirburn will actually take place in September remains to be seen – the heather will still be green-ish so won’t burn well and grouse shooting will be well underway so gamekeepers may have limited time to run around lighting fires. Let’s see.
A ‘sort-of’ win came with the acceptance of a change to the definition of ‘peatland’ as being ‘land where the soil has a layer of peat with a thickness of more than 40 centimetres’ (where “peat” means soil which has an organic content of more than 60%). The current definition of peatland in the Muirburn Code is peat with at least 50 centimetres depth, so dropping this down to 40cm is obviously good news as it means a larger area of peatland will now be protected (landowners will not be issued a licence to undertake muirburn for the purpose of grouse moor management where the peat depth is 40cm or greater). Edward Mountain’s amendment to increase the definition of peatland to 60cm peat depth, and Rachael Hamilton’s amendment for it to remain at 50cm, were unsupported. The Bill will also include a provision for Ministers to keep the definition of peatland under review as further research emerges.
The new peatland definition of 40cm peat depth will probably have a significant impact on the management practices of many grouse moors, particularly in Eastern Scotland where new research has shown a widespread disregard by grouse moor managers for the Muirburn Code restriction of burning on peatland with a 50cm depth (see here). The difference going forward will be that if they disregard the new 40cm depth restriction it will lead to the revocation of their muirburn licence. Having a serious consequence like that should encourage behavioural compliance (again, let’s see!).
I’ve described this one as a ‘sort-of’ win because although the change in definition is welcome (and long overdue), it could have gone so much further. The new definition of peatland could have been lowered to 30cm depth in line with the UK Peatland Strategy‘s definition (also followed by many countries internationally). Or, the definition of peatland could have removed the artificial construct of any peat depth altogether, as eloquently argued by Green MSP Ariane Burgess. There’s a very strong argument against using peat depth as a valid definition of peatland, to properly protect all peatland, including critically important shallow peatland, as explained recently in an excellent guest blog (here). However, the Minister didn’t support this approach.
Other amendments that passed during Wednesday’s sessions included a decision that falconers will not need to apply for a licence to hunt red grouse – that seems reasonable given the low number of people engaged in this sport and the lack of associated raptor persecution offences linked to it.
There was also a decision that grouse moor licences should be issued for a five-year period instead of the one-year period originally suggested in the Bill. The grouse shooting industry wanted a ten-year licence but five years was seen as more suitable to provide oversight and review capability by the regulating authority. In essence, the length of the licensing period is pretty inconsequential to us because the most important aspect is that the regulator (NatureScot) will still have the capacity to suspend or revoke a grouse moor management licence at any time during that five period if offences occur.
So, Stage 2 of the Bill is now complete and it moves on to the final Stage 3. This is when further amendments can be lodged and some will be selected (by the Presiding Officer) for a debate by the whole Parliament in the main chamber. Until Stage 3 is complete we won’t know for sure how strong this Bill is but it’s reasonable to think that there won’t be any catastrophic changes given the dominant voting power of the SNP and Greens. A date hasn’t yet been set for the Stage 3 debate but it is anticipated that it’ll take place in March.
After that, the development of the various Codes of Practice designed to support the new legislation will pick up speed and the details of those will take on great significance. A watchful eye will be kept on these to ensure that they are robust and fit for purpose.
Here is a copy of the Bill as amended after Stage 2:
Press release from Norfolk Constabulary (20th February 2024):
Norfolk man illegally collected almost 3,000 eggs
A prolific egg collector has admitted illegally hoarding thousands of rare birds’ eggs in Norfolk.
Daniel Lingham, 71, of Newton St Faith, appeared at Norwich Magistrates Court on Tuesday 20 February 2024 where he pleaded guilty to five offences.
They were:
-Taking eggs from a non-schedule 1 wild bird namely a Nightjar on 9 June 2023 at Holt
-Possessing an egg or its parts of a non-schedule 1 wild bird – namely 2429 eggs on 25 July 2023
-Possessing an egg or its parts of a schedule 1 wild bird – namely 22 Schedule 1 bird eggs on July 2023
-Possessing articles capable of being used to identify and take eggs
-Breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order on 9 June 2023
Lingham captured on police body camera whilst officers search his premises for stolen eggs
Lingham, who has two previous convictions for similar crimes, was captured on a wildlife trap camera on 9 June 2023 sealing two eggs from a Nightjar nest in Holt Lowes.
Investigators were shown the footage and were able to identify Lingham by his distinctive walking stick which is seen in shot.
A police search of his home on July 25 2023 subsequently revealed the extent of his hoard.
Within the property a total of 2995 eggs were found. A large collection was in his bedroom including some non-native species, alongside 2429 native birds’ eggs protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Of those 548 were from native birds on the amber list of birds of conservation concern and a further 546 were of the most serious concern on the red list including Linnet, Green Finch, Yellowhammer, House Sparrow and many more.
A further collection of eggs – which looked much newer – was found behind the bath panel including a box containing a pair of Nightjar eggs with a label ‘Nightjar 2, Holt Lowes June 9.’
Officers also found identifying books, binoculars, and an egg blowing kit.
In interview Lingham said all of the eggs, bar the Nightjar ones, had been taken before his previous conviction in 2018 – although the way they were stored suggested otherwise.
He further claimed a collection on display in a cabinet in the bedroom had come from an Essex house clearance and while they were his he had not taken them himself from the wild.
He said he had been looking for adders and tiger beetles when he was “tempted” by the Nightjar eggs due to his egg collecting addiction, which was a mental health issue.
Lingham has previously been investigated and prosecuted.
In 2005 he was jailed for ten weeks after police found a collection of almost 4,000 eggs in his home.
Then in 2018 he was found to be in possession of over 5,000 eggs for which he was jailed for 18 weeks and handed a 10-year Criminal Behaviour Order aimed at stopping him from committing similar crimes in the future.
Under the CBO he is banned from entering Holt Lowes between 1 February and 1 October as well as many other sites across Norfolk and nationally – many of which appeared on place name labels among the boxes.
PC Chris Shelley from the Op Randall Rural Crime Team thanked RSPB investigators for their huge support throughout the investigation and also the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU).
He said: “Egg collecting should be a hobby that is confined to the history books having been made illegal in 1954. The illegal collecting of eggs is tackled every year under Operation Easter with forces and partner agencies nationally taking part in bringing those involved to justice, all overseen and facilitated by the NWCU.
“Thankfully there are very few individuals now committing this crime but these few, including Lingham, cause a huge amount of harm to 1000s of birds including some of our most at risk species – in this case Nightjar, Linnet, Yellow Hammer and House Sparrows to name just a few.
“We would always encourage anyone who sees suspicious activity around bird nests in the coming months to report as much detail as possible using our online form or 999 if in progress.”
Tom Grose, RSPB Investigations Officer, said: “The scale of egg theft which Lingham has committed over the last 20 years is shocking. Sadly, his obsession with collecting wild birds’ eggs has ultimately resulted in thousands of breeding birds, which have invested huge amounts of energy into rearing young, to fail.
“We’re relieved that this type of crime is now relatively rare in the UK, but this latest case has revealed that the breeding success of the Nightjar, a species of conservation concern, has again been targeted in Norfolk by Lingham’s illegal actions.
“We’d like to thank Norfolk Police for an excellent investigation which has again led to Lingham’s prosecution.”
He will appear for sentencing on 3 May 2024.
ENDS
As mentioned in the press release, the last time Lingham was convicted (in 2018 for stealing Marsh harrier eggs, amongst many others, here) as well as a short custodial sentence he was also given a ten-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) banning him from all Norfolk Nature Reserves for ten years.
According to the Sentencing Council, ‘a CBO is an order designed to tackle the most serious and persistent anti-social individuals where their behaviour has brought them before a criminal court’.
Lingham has clearly breached his CBO and the consequences of that could mean a lengthy custodial sentence depending on the court’s view of mitigating and aggravating factors (see here).
Let’s see what happens when he’s sentenced on 3rd May 2024.
Well done to Norfolk Constabulary’s Rural Wildlife Crime, the National Wildlife Crime Unit and the RSPB’s Investigations Team for getting a successful conviction.
Members of Norfolk Constabulary’s Rural Crime Team with part of Lingham’s illegal egg collection. Photo via Norfolk Constabulary
UPDATE 6 May 2024: Serial egg thief Daniel Lingham avoids custodial sentence (here)
The Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs & Islands Committee will continue its Stage 2 consideration of the Wildlife Management & Muirburn Bill this Wednesday and there will probably be a new Minister taking it forward.
For new readers, this is proposed new legislation to regulate grouse shooting and its associated management practices by way of licensing schemes, introduced because of the continued illegal persecution of birds of prey on many Scottish grouse moors.
A grouse shooting butt on a Scottish grouse moor. Photo: Ruth Tingay
So far the Bill has been ably led by Environment & Energy Minister Gillian Martin MSP but after a Cabinet mini-reshuffle earlier this month, it appears that Gillian Martin’s portfolio will no longer cover the Environment (her new title is now Minister for Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work).
Instead, this Bill will now be led by newly-appointed Agriculture & Connectivity Minister, Jim Fairlie MSP, whose relevant portfolio responsibilities include wildlife management and crime, animal health & welfare, and natural resources and peatland.
Strangely, the word ‘Environment’ now does not feature in the title of any Scottish Minister.
I say he’ll ‘probably’ be taking it forward at Wednesday’s session – but that all depends on whether the Scottish Parliament formally approves his appointment as a new Minister and whether an unelected bloke in a crown formally approves it too, all before Wednesday morning.
It’s not ideal to have this level of Ministerial disruption at Stage 2 of the Bill but the good news is that Jim Fairlie has been serving on the Rural Affairs & Islands Committee and so is fully conversant with the Bill’s detail. Perhaps most importantly, he also fundamentally understands why there’s a need for this particular Bill to be passed, as he demonstrated two weeks ago when responding to fellow Committee member Rachael Hamilton’s ridiculous pronouncement that “there’s no connectionbetween raptor persecution and grouse moors” (see here for Jim Fairlie’s reaction).
Of course, now he’s a Minister, Jim Fairlie is no longer permitted to serve on any Committee and his name has been removed from the Committee list. Interestingly, SNP MSP Karen Adam’s name has also disappeared from the list. I don’t know why that is. It’ll be interesting to see who is brought in to replace these two SNP members.
It’ll also be interesting to see how Jim Fairlie steers this Bill as the leading Minister. It’s anticipated that like his predecessor, there won’t be many surprises and he’ll stick to the Government line and not accept many amendments unless they’re Government-backed, but let’s see.
The stage 2 scrutiny of the Bill must be completed by the Committee on Wednesday 21st February. However, as the pace was so slow at the last meeting (a meeting that had already been delayed for two weeks thanks to the Convenor), the Committee will now have to undertake two separate sessions to finish in time. The first session is expected to begin at 11am on Wednesday, after the Committee has considered some other business, and is expected to end at around 12.45pm. There will then be a further session on Wednesday evening, beginning at 6pm.
The morning session will begin by completing amendments on the Bill’s section on the use of wildlife traps (picking up where it left off during the first session two weeks ago) and will then move on to amendments relating to the issues of licensing grouse moor management (including increased powers for the SSPCA) and licensing muirburn. These issues are expected to be the most contentious because, if voted through, many of these licensing conditions will introduce a level of regulation that grouse moor managers simply aren’t used to, and won’t like having to adhere to. Conservationists will welcome the regulations that many of us consider to be necessary and long, long, long overdue.
Predictably, there are a number of amendments, mostly submitted by Conservative MSPs Edward Mountain, Rachael Hamilton and Stephen Kerr, that seek to weaken the Government’s proposed licencing conditions. They’re entitled to submit those, of course, and there are other amendments from the likes of Colin Smyth (Labour), John Mason (SNP) and Ariane Burgess (Greens) that seek to strengthen the terms of the licences. Here is the marshalled list that the Committee will debate on Wednesday:
As ever, these sessions can be watched live on Scottish Parliament TV and there’ll be an archive video and transcripts available after the sessions, which I’ll add here when available.
I’ll also try and write an overview of Wednesday’s proceedings once Stage 2 is complete. You can read my overview of what happened in the previous session here.
Grouse moor managers have been using medicated grit for many years to prevent the natural cyclical population crashes in Red Grouse caused by the parasitic strongyle worm.
This natural regulation of the wild populations was inconvenient for those who seek to produce an artificially high number of birds for so-called ‘sport’ shooting so the use of medicated grit was introduced to prevent these population crashes.
However, aside from the questionable ethical issue of drugging wild birds for ‘sport’, questions have also been raised about the ineffectual regulation and monitoring of its use (see here for a blog I wrote about it way back in 2015).
Grit trays with marker posts can be seen on many moors managed for Red Grouse shooting. Photo: Ruth Tingay
The drug currently used in medicated grit is Flubendazole, and it’s toxic. So toxic in fact that there is a statutory requirement for grouse moor managers to remove the grit 28 days prior to shooting any Red Grouse to ensure that it doesn’t enter the human food chain. We know from previous enquiries that the UK agency responsible for monitoring this adherence to the law is pathetic, to say the least. We also know that this agency (the Veterinary Medicines Directorate) does not visit grouse moors to test grit piles to determine whether its medicated or not. Nobody’s checking, and the grouse moor managers will know this.
Well all that is about to change. Conservation campaign group Wild Justice has teamed up with the League Against Cruel Sports (Scotland) to fund the development of a novel lab test to detect the presence of Flubendazole on grit samples.
This novel test has now been trialled by the League Against Cruel Sports who collected grit samples from a number of moors across Scotland and their findings suggest widespread mis-use of the drug.
Here is a briefing note that details these findings:
Last week Wild Justice and the League Against Cruel Sports met with officials from the Scottish Government and NatureScot to discuss these findings and to ask for improved regulation.
Officials assured the campaigners that although the approval of medication to dose wild birds is a reserved issue to the Westminster Government, the use of medicated grit will be subject to greater regulation in Scotland under the new Codes of Practice being drawn up to support the Wildlife Management & Muirburn Bill.
This is an important step. Firstly, I’d heard rumours that some grouse shooting organisations who serve on the grouse moor Code of Practice working group had been trying to exclude the use of medicated grit from scrutiny and regulation. It’s good to hear that it most definitely will be included.
Secondly, it’s worth remembering that any breach of any of the Codes of Practice could result in an estate’s grouse shooting licence being revoked. Now, obviously it will depend on the detail of the Codes of Practice as to what will be deemed to be a code breach – the devil is always in the detail.
But those details should include a requirement for all medicated grit users to provide the regulator (NatureScot) with a copy of their veterinary prescription (currently unsighted); a requirement that the grit is not administered in a way that it can leach into the environment (currently, it can – see above briefing report); a requirement that when the medicated grit is withdrawn it is disposed of as toxic waste (currently, it isn’t); and a provision that allows NatureScot to randomly field test grit samples on grouse moors to ensure the medicated grit has been withdrawn within the statutory time limit (currently, nobody checks). The development of the novel lab test should help facilitate this.
Some of you may have seen an exclusive in The Herald yesterday about this subject – it’s here, but behind a paywall.
Here’s a photo that someone sent to me of the hard copy, where most of the text is visible:
Yorkshire-based birder Mark Pearson is running a half-marathon on 28th April and is raising funds to help support the fantastic work of raptor rehabilitation legend Jean Thorpe, in Ryedale, North Yorkshire.
Raptor rehabber extraordinaire Jean Thorpe about to release a buzzard back to the wild. Photographer unknown.
If you’ve spent any time following this blog you’ll no doubt be familiar with Jean’s incredible work – many victims of raptor persecution have ended up under her expert care and she’s managed to get some of them back to full health and release them back the wild.
Mark is trying to raise £1,000 to support Jean’s work.
The charity Birds of Poole Harbour (the fabulous team behind the Osprey Reintroduction Project, amongst many other things) is advertising for an Events Assistant to help them deliver a number of exciting public engagement projects this year.
This includes helping out on their brilliantly popular ‘bird cruise boats’ around the harbour, providing the public with an opportunity to see ospreys, white-tailed eagles, marsh harriers, peregrines and much, much more!
Looking for raptors (& other species!) on the Birds of Poole Harbour Bird Boat. Photo: Ruth Tingay
Here are the details of this fantastic job opportunity:
BIRDS OF POOLE HARBOUR EVENTS ASSISTANT
Birds of Poole Harbour is a Dorset-based charity with a local community focus, committed to conserving and interpreting the important birdlife in the Poole Harbour area. We deliver a range of exciting events and projects, and are looking for an enthusiastic Events Assistant to support our team in delivering our public engagement offer through the Spring and Summer of 2024.
Position: Events Assistant
Hours: 32 hours per week, 15th April – 15th September 2024. Due to the nature of our events, regular weekend and occasional early morning/evening working hours are required.
Salary: £8053.76 (FTE: £23,795.20 per annum)
Location: Poole and Wareham-based, with travel to events around Poole Harbour
Annual Leave: 9.5 days, inclusive of bank holidays
Essential Criteria:
Friendly and warm interpersonal style
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Ability to work effectively as part of a busy team
Proactive and self-motivated attitude
Excellent bird identification skills
Desirable Skills and Experience:
Experience of working with volunteers
Experience of delivering events
Knowledge of local birding sites and conservation projects, including the Poole Harbour Osprey Reintroduction Project
Full driving licence and access to a vehicle
What you’ll be working on:
You’ll be helping our team to deliver an ambitious events schedule through the spring and summer, including our Carey Osprey Tours led in partnership with Careys Secret Garden, as well as our guided walks and cruises. This role will be well-suited to an aspiring and enthusiastic ornithologist with excellent communication skills and a good knowledge of British birds.
Full training will be provided and more detail on our project work and events can be found here: www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk. Please note that this position will be offered subject to the successful return of the nesting pair of Osprey to Careys Secret Garden, and that we will be unable to fulfil the role if they do not return.
If you would like to apply, please email our Operations Manager Laura at laura@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk with a CV (2 pages maximum) and a PDF with answers to the following questions:
What attracted you to apply for this position? (200 words max)
Why do you believe you are well-suited for the role of Events Assistant at Birds of Poole Harbour? (500 words max)
Interviews commencing W/B 4th March with the option for online interviews available. Please note that the interview will involve a UK bird species identification test.
Closing date: 9am on 26th February 2024
If you have any questions or queries about the role or application process, please contact our Charity Manager Liv via liv@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk. Birds of Poole Harbour are an equal opportunities employer and are happy to provide additional information or accommodations within our hiring practices to support applicants.
The SSPCA has issued the following press release in response to the recent conviction and sentencing of part-time gamekeeper Timothy Hall and his son, Lewis Hall, for the illegal laundering of Scottish peregrines which they were selling for high prices to buyers in the Middle East.
This press release contains details about the poor conditions provided by Timothy Hall for the raptors found at his address, and the subsequent return to the wild of the stolen peregrine chicks.
Young peregrines returned to the wild. Photo via SSPCA
Berwick men receive ban for illegally selling peregrine falcons
Timothy Hall previously pled guilty to the charges and was sentenced to a five-year ban from possessing or breeding birds of prey and 220 hours of community service at Jedburgh Sheriff Court today.
His son Lewis Hall was sentenced to 150 hours community service.
48-year-old Timothy Hall of Lamberton, Berwick Upon Tweed pled guilty in December to being responsible for nine birds of prey of various breeds. Failing to ensure a suitable environment, allowing a build-up of faeces and urates, and not providing an appropriate supply of water for bathing or drinking and did thereby expose the birds to disease or injury.
Lewis Hall, 23, of Fordyce Cottage, Duns, pled guilty to acquiring for commercial purposes, keeping for sale, and selling wild peregrine falcon chicks between 2020 and 2021.
Scottish SPCA specialist investigator, Mark Rafferty, said, “These birds are a protected species and it is illegal to disturb their nests or illegally breed them.
“During April 2021, information came to light that several Peregrine Falcon nesting sites around the Scottish Borders and East Lothian had seen thefts of eggs and chicks over a prolonged period of time.
“We carried out a raid, alongside the Police National Wildlife Crime Unit (WECU), where we found a number of peregrine falcon chicks and a number of adult birds at Hall’s address in Berwick.
“The entire housing/aviary situation was completely unsuitable in terms of size and design for the species being held in each unit. The lack of clean water, and failure to remove the excessive accumulation of faecal and animal tissue waste posed unacceptable health risks to the birds housed within.
“None of the birds were presented with an environment where breeding was likely either naturally or artificial insemination.
“Our team were able to take the peregrine falcon chicks to surrogate nests and monitor them from a distance. Once they had developed fully they were able to return to the wild safely.
“We are extremely disappointed at the sentencing result today. This was a specialised case which has taken years to appear in court. Our team, along with the Police Wildlife Crime Unit and David Anderson, Raptor ecologist from the Scottish Raptor Study Group , worked hard to provide sufficient evidence and DNA testing to get a better result.”
“If anyone is concerned about an animal, they can contact our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”
There’s been a good deal of media interest and coverage about the recent prosecution, conviction and sentencing of part-time gamekeeper Timothy Hall and his son, Lewis Hall, for their role in the illegal laundering of wild Scottish peregrines which they sold for high prices to buyers in the Middle East (see here and here).
Most media outlets have simply summarised the press releases about Operation Tantallon issued by Police Scotland and the Crown Office, but the Guardian newspaper has published from a different angle, focusing on the work of Scottish Raptor Study Group (SRSG) member George Smith, whose 40 years of dedicated and detailed monitoring of peregrines in south Scotland helped bring the successful prosecution against Timothy and Lewis Hall.
Written by journalist Phoebe Weston, who is developing a reputation for in-depth coverage of raptor persecution crimes – e.g. her earlier three-part podcast on the illegal persecution of hen harriers on grouse moors (‘Killing the Skydancer‘) was excellent, her latest piece on the Hall peregrine case is well worth a read – see here.
It’s good to see George’s significant, long-term fieldwork receiving national attention – like so many other SRSG members, George undertakes this skilled (and licenced) work on an entirely voluntary basis but his hard-won data provide the Scottish Government and its agencies with vital detail about the distribution and abundance of raptors (in George’s case, peregrines) and help to inform long-term conservation policies.
I’m particularly pleased to see George’s work highlighted because he is one of a number of SRSG members who are repeatedly targeted online by a malicious group of individuals, some of them prominent members of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, who deliberately and falsely accuse George and his colleagues of unlawful and negligent practices, all in a desperate bid to discredit the good name of the SRSG.
They base these vicious (and libellous) accusations on what they claim to be their concern for the raptor species being monitored/tagged.
I haven’t seen any of them comment on the successful prosecution of part-time gamekeeper Timothy Hall and his son, Lewis Hall, for their crimes against the same peregrines that George has dedicated 40 years of his life to protect.
Raptor Persecution UK 