Month: February 2025

Here we go again. The remains of shot gamebirds and geese have been found dumped at the side of the road, this time in Nottinghamshire in early February 2025.

Many thanks to Helena M who has given permission for these photographs to be published. She writes:

Hi, yesterday in my village of Carlton in Lindrick Worksop Notts, I came across a very distressing sight of many dead birds at the side of the road.

Some of these birds were intact, others were in many pieces.

Please find attached photos of these poor birds remains.

This sad event has got to be the result of a barbaric act by humans, and if so can anything be done to try prevent it happening again? I think I know the answer but you can but hope that the needless suffering of animals at the hands of people may one day cease to exist.’

Regular blog readers will know that this is a common and widespread illegal practice that has been going on for years. The disposal of animal by-products (including shot gamebirds) is regulated and the dumping of these carcasses is an offence.

Previous reports include dumped birds found in Cheshire (here), Scottish borders (here), Norfolk (here), Perthshire (here), Berkshire (here), North York Moors National Park (here) and some more in North York Moors National Park (here) and even more in North Yorkshire (here), Co. Derry (here), West Yorkshire (here), and again in West Yorkshire (here), N Wales (here), mid-Wales (here), Leicestershire (here), Lincolnshire (here), Somerset (here), Derbyshire’s Peak District National Park (here), Suffolk (here), Leicestershire again (here), Somerset again (here), Liverpool (here), even more in North Wales (here) even more in Wales, again (here), in Wiltshire (here) in Angus (here), in Somerset again (here), once again in North Yorkshire (here), yet again in West Yorkshire (here), yet again in mid-Wales (here), even more in mid-Wales (here), more in Derbyshire (here), Gloucestershire (here) more in Cheshire (here), some in Cumbria (here), some more in the Scottish Borders (here) and again in Lincolnshire (here).

Unless someone was seen dumping these shot gamebirds (and geese) there’s no way of knowing who did it or from which gamebird shoot they originated. There’s no requirement for shoot managers to fit identifying markers to their livestock, which would make them traceable, because gamebird ‘livestock’ absurdly changes legal status to ‘wildlife’ as soon as the birds are released from the rearing pens for shooting (see Wild Justice’s blog on Schrodinger’s Pheasant for details).

Bizarrely, the legs/feet of the geese and one of the pheasants appear to have been cut off – you can see some of them scattered around in photo 4 – but they don’t appear to have been de-breasted (the meat removed for human consumption).

As ever, it’ll be the taxpayer who has to pay for these bird remains to be removed, not the senseless, arrogant moron who dumped them. And presumably the council workers tasked with the job will have to be wearing full protective clothing given the recent declaration of a nationwide Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ).

Thanks, gamebird shooting industry, for yet another example of your magnificent custodianship of the countryside.

A new scientific paper has been published today that demonstrates the shooting industry’s so-called 5-year ‘voluntary transition’ away from the use of toxic lead ammunition has spectacularly failed, at least in relation to the shooting of red grouse.

Five years ago in February 2020, nine UK game-shooting organisations made a massive U-turn after years and years and years of defending the use of toxic lead ammunition, and said they wanted to drag the industry into the 21st Century by making a five-year voluntary transition away from lead ammunition (see here).

A lot of us were sceptical because (a) we rarely trust anything the industry tells us; (b) previous ‘voluntary bans’ by the industry on a number of issues have been infamously unsuccessful (e.g. see here, here and here); (c) the ongoing failure of the shooting industry to comply with current regulations on many issues, including the use of lead ammunition over wetlands in England (here) and in Scotland (here), means there should be absolutely zero confidence in its ability and/or willingness to stick to any notional voluntary ban; (d) the Scottish Gamekeepers Association refused to sign up to the proposed five-year transition period because they believe there is insufficient evidence to support the claim that lead can have damaging impacts on humans, wildlife and the environment (here); and (e) in the very same year that nine shooting organisations committed to the five-year voluntary transition, BASC announced it was set to fight a proposed EU ban on the use of lead ammunition on wetlands (see here).

We were right to be sceptical.

Regular blog readers will be familiar with the Cambridge University-led research project called ‘SHOT-SWITCH‘ that has been monitoring the progress (or not!) of this five-year voluntary transition by purchasing pheasants from supermarkets and other retailers across the UK each year and having them lab tested to determine whether they’ve been shot with toxic lead ammunition or with non-toxic ammunition.

The results of the SHOT-SWITCH project’s 2024/2025 sampling of pheasants are due to be published shortly (results from the previous four years can be read here).

However, the same team, led by Professor Rhys Green, Dr Mark Taggart and Dr Debbie Pain, has also sampled red grouse carcasses that were bought during the 2024 red grouse shooting season and it’s these carcasses that are the focus of this new scientific paper, published today in the Conservation Evidence Journal.

It’s worth reading past the summary if you have the time (the full paper can be read at the foot of this blog). It contains some hilarious commentary from the Moorland Association (grouse moor owners’ lobby group in England) who reportedly told the researchers on 21 January 2025 that ‘grouse moor owners have been at the forefront of the transition away from lead shotgun ammunition‘.

Hmm. Would that be in the same way that grouse moor owners have been at the forefront of hen harrier ‘conservation’?

The paper also cites an earlier published statement made by the Moorland Association in 2022: ‘That commitment [to the transition] is unwavering‘ and ‘There is growing evidence of shoots moving away from lead‘ and ‘Suggesting a ban [on the use of toxic lead ammunition]…, is not supported by our evidence of active transition underway‘.

The researchers dryly comment:

“Based upon this strong statement, it might be expected that quantitative evidence of change in practice on moorland shoots had already been obtained and that it showed that the voluntary transition from lead to non-lead ammunition was progressing as rapidly or more rapidly for red grouse shooting than it has been for pheasants. We are not aware of any such evidence. The results reported in this paper indicate that almost all red grouse continue to be shot using lead ammunition, even as the end of the transition period approaches“.

I’m looking forward to reading the SHOT-SWITCH project’s forthcoming paper showing the results of its lead ammunition testing in pheasants from the 2024/25 shooting season, which will hopefully be published within the next few weeks.

Results are also expected soon from Wild Justice’s latest tests on the lead content of gamebird meat bought from various supermarkets during the 2024/25 shooting season, as they’ve done in previous years (e.g. see here and here).

This year Wild Justice also tested some of the pre-prepared ‘ready to cook’ food pouches that are distributed by the game-shooting industry and others to foodbanks and community projects for vulnerable members of the public suffering from food poverty. The laboratory tests analysing the lead content of those meal pouches will be fascinating.

All of these results, from the SHOT-SWITCH project and Wild Justice, will provide timely information for the Secretary of State at DEFRA and his colleagues in the devolved countries who are currently reviewing recommendations made by the Health & Safety Executive in December 2024 for restrictions to be placed on the continued use of toxic lead ammunition (see here). A response is due before 13 March 2025 (see here).

Here is the excellent paper by Green et al., published today in the Conservation Evidence Journal, demonstrating the continued use of toxic lead ammunition to shoot red grouse in the UK:

Press release from RSPB (3rd Feb 2025)

RSPB Geltsdale to become a Pennines paradise for nature

A bold new restoration project is set to transform RSPB Geltsdale, an upland reserve in Northeast Cumbria, into a Pennines paradise for nature. Thanks to the purchase of a final piece of land at RSPB Geltsdale, we are now able to go bigger and better to fully restore and protect the area’s moorlands, wetlands and woodlands. 

Hen Harriers, one of England’s most endangered breeding birds of prey, are set to benefit, along with rare and iconic species including Curlews, Snipe, Willow Warblers, Red Squirrels and Black Grouse. Water Voles will be reintroduced, and it’s hoped the restoration will also see the return of Golden Eagles, and Ospreys nesting on the reserve in the near future.  

An ambitious vision for nature 

RSPB Geltsdale Reserve Manager Ian Ryding said: “We want to create a landscape that sings with life. Our plans are ambitious and, in a nutshell, mean bringing this North Pennines landscape fully back to life. Working in partnership with the North Pennines National Landscape and Natural England, we’ve already achieved so much over the last thirty years, but now, with the purchase of the remaining land, we can do so much more. 

“It will be such a thrill to see the amazing Golden Eagle re-colonising England in the near future and the pinnacle of success for me would be seeing them soaring across the moorlands of Geltsdale. From the bright carpets of wildflowers in the hay meadows to the gentle ripple of restored wetlands teeming with insects and birdlife, this vision is about bringing back the sounds, sights, and vitality of England’s truly wild Pennines.” 

Building on success 

Our new vision for RSPB Geltsdale builds on the ongoing success of conservation efforts on the nature reserve. Thanks to our supporters, we’ve restored areas of precious blanket bog and created large areas of meadowland. We’ve planted 110,000 native trees and a river, Howgill Beck, has been ‘re-naturalised’ to its original meandering course, helping to prevent flooding and benefiting birds such as Oystercatchers and Common Sandpipers. Nature-friendly farming is reaping dividends too, helping to increase Curlew numbers and improving biodiversity.   

Together these efforts are boosting wildlife populations. A survey in 2022 found 94 breeding bird species now call Geltsdale their home, including 73 Curlew territories, nine Merlin nests and 25 pairs of Short-eared Owl. In 2023 the first Nightjar was recorded and in 2024 eight Hen Harrier chicks fledged from two successful nests, the highest number for 20 years. Numbers of Adders have also dramatically increased over the last decade. 

RSPB Geltsdale Reserve Manager Ian Ryding said: “Conservation efforts over the last three decades are clearly paying off but now we are stepping up a gear to realise our bold new vision for the reserve.  Now is the time to take everything we’ve learned and go bigger, we’re talking more trees, more wetlands, more birds and more homes for our threatened wildlife.”  

Creating a Pennines paradise

Through this ambitious programme of work, RSPB Geltsdale will provide much-needed habitat for wildlife, as well as secure a healthier landscape that can better tackle and mitigate against climate change. For example, the restoration of peat bogs will create the ideal conditions for rare plants and will also serve to lock away climate-damaging carbon.  

Our plans for the next five years include: planting thousands more native trees; creating new wetlands to nurture wildlife, such as Snipe, Common Sandpipers and Brown Trout; re-introducing White-faced Darter dragonflies and Water Voles; encouraging Ospreys to breed on the reserve; and installing dams to stabilise and rejuvenate peatlands, to store carbon and retain water.  

RSPB Area Manager David Morris adds: “This work isn’t just about protecting wildlife – it’s about creating a more resilient landscape. Restored peatlands will lock away carbon, wetlands will reduce downstream flooding, and vibrant habitats will support species at every level of the food chain, from invertebrates to apex predators.”  

Key elements of the vision

The comprehensive plans set out the ambitions for RSPB Geltsdale. Highlights include: 

• Revitalising moorlands and peatlands: Peat bogs will be restored by raising water levels, helping lock away climate-damaging carbon and creating ideal conditions for sphagnum mosses and rare plants like Bog Rosemary and Round-leaved Sundew. 
• Expanding and regenerating woodlands: By planting native species like Aspen, Juniper and Downy Birch, and encouraging natural regeneration through grazing cattle, woodlands will grow to attract Cuckoos, Black Grouse, and Tree Pipits while linking valleys with vital wildlife corridors. 
• Restoring wetlands: Streams and watercourses will be restored to meander naturally, slowing the flow of water and creating pools, and braided channels that support Otters, amphibians, and birds like Grasshopper Warblers. 
• Creating wildflower hay meadows: Cuttings from one of the region’s most species-rich meadows will be spread on the newly acquired fields, bringing life to areas that will bloom with orchids, Lady’s Mantle, and Yellow Rattle, supporting pollinators and an abundance of wildlife. 
• Protecting species: Conservation efforts will safeguard iconic birds like Hen Harriers, one of the most endangered breeding birds of prey in England, with hopes to welcome species like Golden Eagles and Ospreys in the future. 
• Fenceless grazing: By using innovative solutions like Nofence technology to guide grazing cattle, we will create habitats for threatened ground-nesting wading birds such as Lapwings and Redshanks. 

ENDS

The RSPB has launched a fundraising appeal to help support this nature restoration work. If you’d like to find out more and contribute to the appeal please visit here.