Category: News

Two Hen Harriers vanish from RSPB’s Geltsdale Reserve, suspected illegally killed on surrounding grouse moors

Press release from RSPB (20 May 2025)

Vanishing Hen Harriers Point To Yet More Illegal Killing

  • Two male Hen Harriers have suddenly disappeared from the RSPB Geltsdale Nature Reserve in Cumbria. It is strongly suspected these birds have been killed illegally.
  • RSPB says it is ‘sickened by the losses’, as both birds were in attendance at their nests until vanishing. 
  • Fears over losses prompt renewed calls for tougher regulation of grouse shooting industry.

Two rare male Hen Harriers have suddenly disappeared from their nest sites at Geltsdale in Northern England within a few days of each other. This comes on the back of another Geltsdale male Hen Harrier being found shot dead on neighbouring land in spring 2023.

Hen Harriers are a rare, protected species, known for their acrobatic ‘skydancing’ courtship display over the uplands. The Hen Harrier is categorised as a red-listed species in the UK, due to its low breeding population levels, following historic declines.

Male Hen Harrier. Photo by Pete Walkden

Despite being legally protected, multiple studies and reports confirm that illegal killing is the main factor limiting the recovery of Hen Harrier in the UK, causing a reduction in nesting success, annual productivity, and survival of breeding females. A recent study which investigated the illegal killing of Hen Harriers in association with gamebird management (Ewing, et al., 2023) has shown that the survival rates of Hen Harriers in the UK is “unusually low” with birds surviving for just 121 days after fledging, and bird persecution accounting for 27-41% of deaths of Hen Harriers aged under one year and 75% of deaths in birds aged between one and two years.  It also highlighted a strong overlap between Hen Harrier mortality and the extent of grouse moors.

Although this pattern of male birds disappearing from breeding sites has been seen before, the RSPB is particularly concerned and upset by these males going missing within a matter of days of each other. Observations show that the males haven’t returned to their nests since going missing and the RSPB local team is now providing food to the female at one of the nests in a desperate attempt to save the chicks. Male Hen Harriers hunt for prey several miles away from their nest sites and it is this activity which causes conflict with those who might wish to kill them in order to protect their grouse stocks used for commercial shooting.

RSPB Geltsdale is surrounded by grouse moors and male birds from Geltsdale have gone missing time and time again, most recently when a male was found shot dead on a neighbouring grouse moor in 2023 when the Police unable to prove who had killed it [Ed: Hen Harrier ‘Dagda’ found shot on the Knarsdale Estate, here. Other Geltsdale HHs that have ‘disappeared’ in recent years whilst away from the reserve hunting include males in 2020, 2021 and 2023, here].

Beccy Speight, RSPB Chief Executive, said – “Although sadly we are used to crimes against Hen Harriers, it is truly sickening to lose these particular birds from Geltsdale in such a short space of time and with them our hopes of a successful breeding season. The last five years have seen a high count of crimes against Hen Harriers with 102 suspected or confirmed incidents, the majority happening on or close to grouse moors. If these magnificent birds are ever going to have a sustainable population in England, this killing has to stop. We need the immediate introduction of a licencing system for grouse shooting, so estates proven by the Police and Natural England to be linked to raptor persecution would simply lose their licence to operate.”

The disappearances have been reported to the Police. The RSPB is currently campaigning for England to follow Scotland’s lead and licence grouse shooting. The wildlife charity says that any grouse shoot which breaks wildlife protection laws to the satisfaction of the Police and Natural England should risk closure for a defined period to provide a meaningful deterrent to such activities. With such a system, responsible shoots would have nothing to fear, while those who commit crimes can be held to account.

This week RSPB is asking the public to contact their MP and ask for action to be taken to protect our precious uplands, and to make crime against birds of prey a thing of the past.

Find out more here: Email your MP – Call time on moor crime | RSPB

If you notice a dead or injured bird of prey in suspicious circumstances, call the police on 101 and fill in the RSPB’s online reporting form: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/wild-bird-crime-report-form/

If you have information about anyone killing birds of prey which you wish to report anonymously, call the RSPB’s confidential Raptor Crime Hotline on 0300 999 0101.

ENDS

Wild Justice Forensics Fund supports 68 police investigations into suspected raptor persecution

Conservation campaign group Wild Justice has provided an update on how its Raptor Forensics Fund has helped UK police forces investigate suspected crimes against birds of prey.

The fund was established in 2020 to cover the costs of early-stage investigations where there is a suspicion of a crime but insufficient evidence to meet the criteria required to submit a carcass for tests in a Government-funded lab.

Police officers have immediate access to the fund to prevent any delay in progressing a case and typically it covers costs such as x-rays and post-mortems. If a crime is then confirmed, officers can apply for further funds to cover costs such as DNA work or other specialist work. If a case results in a conviction, an application is made to the court to recover the costs and these are returned to the forensic fund.

Photo by Ruth Tingay

The fund is administered by the PAW Forensic Working Group (a sub-group of the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime) and is open to any regional or national statutory agency in the UK. For further details please visit the PAW Forensic Working Group website here.

Additional funding support has been provided by The Northern England Raptor Forum, Tayside & Fife Raptor Study Group, Devon Birds, Rare Bird Alert and a number of individuals who wish to remain anonymous.

Since being established in 2020, the fund has supported 68 police investigations and has been used to pay for 43 post mortems, 29 x-rays, one CT scan and two DNA profilings.

Some of those 68 investigations have now ended, either because, for example, there wasn’t any evidence of criminality, or there was some evidence but it was insufficient to meet the criminal threshold, or because no suspects were identified, or because the carcass tested positive for avian influenza which prevented any further analysis. Some investigations are on-going.

Eight investigations have so far resulted in prosecutions and subsequent convictions. Seven of the eight convictions involved gamekeepers on Pheasant shoots. You can read the details here.

87-year-old man pleads not guilty to 11 charges relating to alleged raptor persecution in Lincolnshire – case now goes to trial

Brian Chorlton, aged 87, of Morkery Lane, Castle Bytham appeared at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court yesterday (8 May 2025) to answer 11 charges relating to the unapproved or unlawful storage of the chemical Aldicarb, possession of a poisoners kit, and possession and use of four pole traps.

These charges are a result of a police investigation in to reports that birds of prey were being poisoned in the Castle Bytham area.

Mr Chorlton pleaded not guilty to all 11 charges and this case will now proceed to trial, scheduled for October 2025.

NB: Comments are turned off as this case is live.

Photo by Ruth Tingay

UPDATE 26 September 2025: Trial of 87-year-old man accused of 11 offences relating to raptor persecution is put on hold as defence applies for Judicial Review of judge’s ruling (here)

Peregrines lay second clutch of eggs at St Albans Cathedral as police continue investigation into destruction of first clutch

Following on from Monday’s news that Hertfordshire Police and the National Wildlife Crime Unit are continuing to investigate what looked to be the deliberate trampling of Peregrine eggs at St Albans Cathedral on 7th April 2025 (see here), the good news is that the Peregrines have re-laid and are now incubating their second clutch of eggs.

Screengrab from the livestream nest camera this morning showing the female Peregrine incubating three eggs

St Albans Cathedral published a statement earlier this week to say the peregrines had re-laid two eggs (egg 1 on 4th May, egg 2 on 7th May) and this morning there are now three eggs.

The statement also confirms that security has been reviewed and updated at the Cathedral with new protective measures in place to prevent a repeat of the incident on 7th April.

The livestream camera has also been reactivated.

The statement and the link to the nest camera can be found here.

“Why should wildlife lose to businesses underpinned by criminal activity?” – Mark Carwardine on driven grouse shooting, BBC Wildlife Magazine

Kudos to zoologist, author, photographer and broadcaster Mark Carwardine for having the courage to take on driven grouse shooting in his latest opinion piece for BBC Wildlife Magazine.

Too few of the ‘big names’ in wildlife/nature conservation are prepared to stand up and speak out on this issue (with a handful of exceptions).

Mark can be forgiven for repeating the myth that ‘the UK has 75% of the world’s heather moorland’ (for a forensic debunking, read this excellent blog by Professor Steve Carver) because it doesn’t detract from the rest of his clear-eyed view on why driven grouse shooting should be banned.

Police Air Support Unit joins in fight against illegal targeting of Peregrines in Northern Ireland

Press release from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), 2nd May 2025:

POLICE AIR SUPPORT UNIT JOINS IN FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL TARGETING OF PEREGRINE FALCONS

‘Operation Raptor – Peregrine Watch’, an initiative by Police Service of Northern Ireland along with our partners in the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Bird of Prey Sub Group, seeks to bring an end to the illegal persecution of birds of prey, will now have ‘eyes in the sky’ as the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Air Support Unit lends its expertise and cutting edge technology to the cause. 

A special licence granted by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), and specific permissions obtained with the assistance of the Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group (NIRSG), has enabled police to deploy hi-tech drones to carry out checks of various sites around Northern Ireland where Peregrine Falcons are known to nest, breed and live. 

Peregrine falcons in Northern Ireland are a protected species under the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 as amended by the Wildlife and Natural Environment (NI) Act 2011, which safeguards all birds of prey from persecution and disturbance. The penalties for crimes under the Order include, but are not limited to, a fine of up to £5,000 per offence and up to six months imprisonment.

The police drones will be used to view and assess falcon nesting and breeding areas that may otherwise be inaccessible and will allow the various agencies involved in PAW to keep a close check on nests, particularly in ‘at risk’ areas, in the hope of reducing instances of illegal poisoning, shooting, trapping and taking of peregrine falcons and their eggs.

Operation Raptor was promoted at the recent NI Raptor Study Group conference.
L-R: Dr Marc Ruddock (NI Raptor Study Group), Margaret Mee (White-tailed Eagle Project), Dr Ruth Tingay (Raptor Persecution UK), Chief Inspector Tim Flanigan (PSNI), Emma Meredith (PSNI Wildlife & Animal Welfare Officer)

Speaking about Op Raptor – Peregrine Watch, Police Service lead for Rural and Wildlife Crime Superintendent Johnston McDowell said:

“This initiative between the PAW Bird of Prey Sub Group and our Air Support Unit, working alongside local officers, is a direct result of birds being targeted with very serious and dangerous substances in a number of areas across Northern Ireland.

“Many of the poisons identified in previous cases are deadly not only to our precious wildlife but also to humans, and so the potential impact could go beyond the persecution and destruction of our beautiful native birds of prey.” 

The initiative also encourages people to report any suspicions around birds being targeted. Police work closely with our colleagues in the Health and Safety Executive who are responsible for Biocides, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development who are responsible for Rodenticides, to identify poisons being used and take steps to identify and prosecute offenders.

Superintendent McDowell concluded: “The Police Service of Northern Ireland is committed to working with partner agencies to tackle wildlife crime through prevention and education, as well as enforcement, and will continue to work hard to combat wildlife crime.”

Wildlife crime can be reported to police via 101, or online at www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or confidentially through crimes stoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

ENDS

‘Investigation still ongoing’ into person seen trampling peregrine eggs at St Albans Cathedral

Almost a month ago (7 April 2025) a person was seen to be deliberately walking over three peregrine eggs in a nest tray on the roof of St Albans Cathedral in Hertfordshire, crushing the eggs. The incident was caught on the Cathedral’s livestream nest camera and the following day Hertfordshire Police said a man was ‘helping with enquiries’ (see here).

In an article posted online last week (28 April) by the St Albans Times,

‘Herts police are working with partners at St Albans Cathedral and the National Wildlife Crime Unit to look into the incident, and officers from the Rural Operational Support Team spoke to a man to assist with their enquiries, but nobody has been charged at this time.

A spokesperson for Herts Constabulary would only confirm today that the investigation is still ongoing‘.

UPDATE 9th May 2025: Peregrines lay second clutch of eggs at St Albans Cathedral as police continue investigation into destruction of first clutch (here)

News coverage about first court appearance of Yorkshire Dales gamekeeper Racster Dingwall in relation to alleged conspiracy to shoot a hen harrier

Two major news broadcasters covered the first court appearance of 34-year-old gamekeeper Racster Dingwall on Friday, who pleaded not guilty at Skipton Magistrates’ Court to two charges relating to an alleged conspiracy to shoot and kill a hen harrier on a grouse moor last October on the Conistone & Grassington Estate in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (see here).

Attending court was a team from Channel 4 News, who had first broadcast the RSPB’s covert footage and audio last autumn that is now at the centre of this case.

Channel 4 News filmed the accused as he left the court on Friday with his solicitor, Tim Ryan, and this was shown in a short segment on Channel 4 News at 7pm although the programme is no longer available.

Gamekeeper Racster Dingwall leaving court with his solicitor (Channel 4 News)

A journalist from the BBC also attended court and produced an article that was published on the BBC News website:

The BBC News article set out the two charges to which the defendant has pleaded not guilty: possessing a shotgun for the purpose of killing a Schedule 1 bird, and encouraging and assisting the killing of a Schedule 1 bird.

The article goes on to say: ‘The RSPB said the prosecution is the first involving any bird with Schedule 1 status in England‘.

I don’t think this statement is accurate and is perhaps a misunderstanding on the part of the journalist.

There have certainly been other prosecutions ‘involving a bird with Schedule 1 status in England’ (e.g. Goshawks, Peregrines, Red Kites) but as far as I’m aware these have all been related to offences under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981. I think this latest case is the first relating to an alleged offence against a Schedule 1 bird under the Serious Crime Act where it concerns the alleged ‘encouragement or assistance’ of crime.

The case will continue with a pre-trial hearing on 9 September 2025.

NB: Comments are closed until criminal proceedings have concluded.

Two men charged in relation to illegal killing of Red Kites in Cairngorms National Park

Police Scotland has today issued a short statement as follows:

MEN ARRESTED AND CHARGED FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF RED KITES IN ABERDEENSHIRE

Two men have been arrested and charged in connection with wildlife offences following enquiries into the death of red kites in the Strathdon area of Aberdeenshire in February, 2025.

The men, aged 39 and 42, will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

ENDS

You may remember that Police Scotland issued an appeal for information on 28 February 2025 (here) following the discovery of a dead Red Kite that was found shot near the Glenbuchat area of Strathdon, Aberdeenshire, a grouse moor-dominated area on the north-east side of the Cairngorms National Park that has long been recognised as a raptor persecution hotspot.

This is a map I published in 2020 following the discovery of a poisoned White-tailed eagle on an unnamed grouse moor in the area (here).

The black dots on the map represent raptor persecution incidents recorded between 2005-2020, based on data from the RSPB, the 2017 golden eagle satellite tag review, and other data in the public domain. The Strathdon area is circled. For more details about some of the previous incidents in the Strathdon area please see this earlier blog here.

It seems apparent that today’s statement from Police Scotland is in relation to their Feb 2025 appeal for information about the shot Red Kite, but note that today’s statement mentions ‘the death of Red Kites‘ (plural), not just one.

Definitely a case to watch closely.

NB: As charges have been laid proceedings are now considered to be live so comments have been turned off.

Gamekeeper due in court today in connection with alleged shooting of hen harrier on grouse moor in Yorkshire Dales National Park

A gamekeeper is due to appear at Skipton Magistrates’ Court this morning to face a charge under the Serious Crime Act in relation to the alleged shooting of a hen harrier in October 2024 on the Coniston and Grassington Estate in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The allegation and subsequent charge is a result of covert footage filmed by the RSPB’s Investigations Team that was featured on Channel 4 News (here).

NB: As this case is live, comments are disabled on this blog until criminal proceedings have ended to avoid prejudicing the case.

Hen Harrier photo by Pete Walkden

UPDATE 2 May 2025: Gamekeeper Racster Dingwall pleads not guilty to two charges relating to alleged conspiracy to kill a Hen Harrier on grouse moor in Yorkshire Dales National Park (here)