Category: News

Two Langholm hen harriers fitted with sat tags

Hen-Harrier-1 avico ltdThere have been two successful hen harrier nests at Langholm this year, according to the Langholm Demonstration Project website (here). The scant information provided informs us that the nests contained healthy broods of six and four chicks.

Interestingly, the Project website doesn’t provide any information about the number of satellite tags that have been fitted to chicks this year. We find that very curious, given that two female chicks from the brood of six were fitted with tags prior to their fledging the nest last week.

What’s with the secrecy? This is an expensive project, part-funded by the taxpayer, and there’s strong public interest in what happens to these harriers when they leave Langholm. We know from previous years that the survival rate of these young birds is appalling, with many of them ‘mysteriously disappearing’ over grouse moors in Scotland and northern England. Strangely, the Project team has been reluctant to reveal these locations.

We’ll we watching with great interest to see whether the Project team releases information about the movements of these latest two young birds over the coming weeks or whether this turns into yet another cover up job.

Meanwhile, Cat Barlow who runs the related ‘Making the Most of Moorlands’ education website (here) has posted some video footage of the brood of four, as well as some merlins and other species.

To read our previous blog posts about Langholm, just type ‘Langholm’ into the search box on the right hand side of the blog. (Too many previous posts to list them here).

Another shot buzzard found in the Scottish Borders

A dead buzzard found in the Heriot area of the Scottish Borders had been shot, according to the BBC.

Police Scotland are appealing for information after the bird’s decomposed body was discovered close to Carcant Hill on 30th June. A forensic analysis revealed the bird had been shot although it’s not known whether this was the cause of death.

Well done to the new Police Scotland WCO in the Borders, PC Hannah Medley, for publicising this incident within a couple of weeks of the bird being found (her second one this year, following the discovery of a shot buzzard at St Mary’s Loch in March, which she also publicised pretty quickly – see here).

BBC article on latest shot buzzard in Heriot here.

“Raptors are thriving on gamekeepered ground”, claims the SGA

There were some interesting sights at the 2013 Scottish Game Fair in early July, including this poster on the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association stand, entitled “Record Numbers of Raptor!!”[sic].

SGA Gamefair 005a

Any casual visitors to the SGA stand could be forgiven for thinking that raptors are doing just fine and there’s no cause for concern; that’s the message the SGA clearly wanted to portray. But let’s just look a bit more closely at their ‘information’, shall we?

You might think, given that this was the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association at the Scottish Game Fair, their raptor figures would just relate to raptors in Scotland. You’d be wrong. Rather disingenuously, they used data relating to raptor figures in the UK as a whole, not just Scottish data, thereby potentially misleading the public to believe that Scotland holds a significantly higher number of breeding raptors than it actually does.

For example, the SGA claims there are 760 pairs of red kites producing 1400+ young per year. Actually, the number of breeding pairs monitored in Scotland in 2012 was 214, with 314 fledged. This is thought to be ‘close to an accurate population estimate’ according to the Scottish Raptor Study Group.

Another example: the SGA claims there are 600 pairs of goshawks producing 1200+ young per year. Actually, the number of breeding pairs in Scotland is more like 150, with an estimated 200 occupied territories in total.

And another example: the SGA claims there are 1600 pairs of peregrines producing 3000+ young per year. Actually, the last national survey of peregrines in Scotland showed 542 breeding pairs, an 8% decline from the previous national survey.

And here’s yet another example: the SGA claims there are 690 pairs of hen harriers producing 1300+ young per year. Actually, the last national survey of hen harriers in Scotland showed 505 pairs, a 20% decline from the previous national survey.

In fact, the data they’ve provided for every species on this list, with the exception of the golden eagle, are a gross exaggeration of the respective Scottish populations of these birds. Did they choose these figures to deliberately mislead the public? Surely not.

In addition to using potentially misleading population figures, the SGA also chose to use data from 2002-2004. That’s a bit odd given that far more up to date data for many species (i.e. from as recently as 2011) are freely available in the public domain (see here). Now, what possible reason could they have for ignoring the more recent facts and figures? Surely nothing to do with the fact that these more recent data directly contradict the following SGA statement:

“That whilst most bird species are in decline raptors are at an all time high, since records began”.

Conveniently, this statement fails to mention the 20% decline in the Scottish hen harrier population, and the 8% decline in the Scottish peregrine population, not to mention the severely constrained Scottish populations of red kites, golden eagles and goshawks, all linked to the effects of illegal persecution taking place on gamekeepered land across Scotland. Funny that, isn’t it?

Even funnier is this photo (below), also pictured at the SGA stand. According to this, ‘Raptors are thriving on gamekeepered ground’. Conveniently (again), the list of raptor species they chose to illustrate this lie statement does not include hen harriers, peregrines, red kites, golden eagles or goshawks. Their statement is right up there with another SGA classic: “Professional gamekeepers do not poison raptors” (see here).

SGA Gamefair 006a

 

RSPB Investigations Team features in New Yorker magazine

A fascinating article in the New Yorker magazine, featuring two members of the RSPB Investigations Team and their work to catch illegal egg-collectors.

New Yorker article here

Half a million blog hits

Our blog has reached another milestone today – half a million views!

A big thanks to everyone who has viewed, contributed, commented, shared on Facebook, tweeted on Twitter, linked us to their own website etc.

Here are some stats:

763 posts written

Currently averaging ~26,000 views per month

Most views in one day: 5,815 views on 23rd May 2013 – ‘Natural England issues licence to destroy buzzard eggs and nests to protect pheasants’.

Top Ten Posts (most viewed) –

1. Natural England issues licence to destroy buzzard eggs and nests to protect pheasants.

2. Buzzard ‘management’ trial gets govt approval and £375k funding.

3. 27 eagles, 7 years, 0 prosecutions.

4. Significant haul of poisoned baits found on Leadhills Estate.

5. Police investigate alleged destruction of sea eagle nest on a Scottish grouse moor.

6. RSPB response to DEFRA’s proposed (illegal) buzzard trial.

7. Buzzards trapped and beaten to death with a stick: gamekeeper convicted.

8. The curious incident of the eagle in the night-time.

9. Golden eagle found shot and critically injured on Scottish grouse moor.

10. Update on the curious incident of the eagle in the night-time.

single

Buzzard shot in the head: police appeal for info

buzzard 3Police in Greater Manchester are appealing for information after a dead buzzard was found in a field in Bolton. X-rays revealed the bird had been shot in the head.

The bird was found by a dog walker on 25th June in a field close to Salford Road and St. Helens Road.

PC Randolph Lyle makes some frankly bizarre statements in the police appeal, e.g. “shooting and killing one [buzzard] can have a devastating impact on their habitat and biodiversity“. Eh? He also seems quite keen to put across an argument that this buzzard wasn’t killed by someone from the game-shooting industry…

Nevertheless, Greater Manchester Police should be credited for at least putting out a press statement, so well done to them for that.

Anyone with information can call GMP on 0161-856-5578 or can make an anonymous call to Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.

Greater Manchester Police press release here.

Red kite poisoned in Scotland

rk5And so it continues….

Today, the Scottish Government agency responsible for reporting on poisoned animals released the stats for the first quarter of this year (i.e. Jan-March 2013).

You will not be surprised to learn that, yet again, poisoning incidents have taken place and Police Scotland have chosen to suppress the information.

The data confirm that a poisoned red kite was discovered in March in ‘Central Scotland’ – no detailed location information given, naturally. Lab tests show it had been poisoned with Mevinphos. Four months for that information to slip out in a largely un-read government report. The level of secrecy involved in these cases is quite remarkable.

The data also show the poisoned baits that were uncovered at Leadhills in March – interestingly, they confirm the presence of Carbofuran but don’t comment on the number of baits found (which we know was a considerable number – see here) but they do say the baits were found inside gamebags. Four months on from the discovery and we’re still waiting for Police Scotland to make a public statement, not least to warn residents and visitors about the discovery of potentially fatal poison in a publicly-accessible location.

Also included in the data is the discovery of a Carbofuran-laced pigeon bait in Tayside in February 2013. Again, where was/is the public warning from Police Scotland?

It’s just bloody pathetic. Don’t tell us that the information has been suppressed for ‘operational’ reasons – that’s totally ridiculous and isn’t fooling anyone. The suppression of information benefits the landowners and gamekeepers – nobody else.

Compare this suppression of information with the work of Police Wildlife Crime Officers in Devon & Cornwall. Two of their WCOs – PC Josh Marshall and PC Paul Freestone – are so amazingly proactive that as well as having their own personal wildlife crime blogs (here and here), they’ve even set up a Wildlife Crime Group blog for their area (see here). On this blog, you’ll find information providing tips and advice about different types of wildlife crime, as well as information about specific alleged offences. For example, here they report on the recent suspected poisoning of two buzzards, and even provide photographs – all within a few days of the alleged crime being reported. Hats off to those two guys – committed, proactive, helpful and informative (although if you’re reading this Josh & Paul, you might want to revise your information about potential threats to harriers!!).

Back to Scotland….we would like to know why Police Scotland consistently fails to inform the public about alleged raptor persecution incidents, especially those involving the discovery of highly dangerous banned poisons in public areas. The public has a right to be kept informed. Sure, the Police may need a few weeks to conduct their initial investigations without letting on what they’re up to – as we’ve said over and over and over again, nobody in their right mind would want to interfere with that process and jeopardise a potential prosecution – but when it gets to three, four, five months after the incident and its bloody obvious that the investigation is dead in the water, then what possible reason is there for withholding the information, putting the lives of people and animals at risk? Here are some reasons: wanting to appease the landowners and gamekeepers on whose land the poison had been found, and wanting to appease the wider gameshooting industry who just hate to have the truth exposed about poisoning and the other methods of persecution that are being used against raptors on a regular basis.

If you’re also curious about the blanket suppression of information, you could always email the new Police Scotland Wildlife Crime Portfolio Leader, Detective Superintendent Cameron Cavin, and ask him to explain. One question to ask, as a friendly opener, nothing more, might be whether he has ever held membership in a game-shooting organisation, like, ooh, er, let’s say BASC for example, and if so, whether that membership is still held?…. Coincidentally, Det. Super. Cavin also just happens to have strong connections with central Scotland so he might also have information about the progress of the case concerning the poisoned red kite found there in March, or perhaps about the buzzard found there in March that had been caught in an illegal trap and had to be euthanised as a result of its injuries (see here). Bear in mind if you do email him, he’s obliged to reply within 20 working days so he can’t just ignore you, although obviously he can choose to fob you off without providing a satisfactory answer.

Email: Cameron.Cavin@centralscotland.pnn.police.uk

December trial for Morvich Estate gamekeepers

A trial date of 16th December 2013 has finally been set for three gamekeepers from the Morvich Estate, Sutherland, who are accused of committing alleged wildlife crimes.

The case against Mathew Ian Johnston, Jamie Robert Neal and William Robert Docharty was first called in November 2012 at Dornoch Sheriff Court. A series of adjournments (7 so far) have followed – see here for background.

Industry leaders respond to buzzard-killing gamekeeper case

The public’s reaction to what gamekeeper Colin Burne did to those trapped buzzards (see here) has been widespread disgust and condemnation. People have been commenting all over the social media networks, with many angered that Burne’s punishment was so pathetic (a 12 month suspended sentence – in other words, keep your nose clean for the next year and we’ll say no more about it).

We thought it’d be interesting to read what the game-shooting industry’s leaders had to say about the case. At the very least, we would expect outright condemnation of Burne’s activities and a warning to others that criminal activites will not be tolerated by the industry. We visited a few websites this morning and this is what we found:

National Gamekeepers Organisation: silence

British Association for Conservation & Shooting (BASC): silence

Countryside Alliance: silence

Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust: silence

Now, compare these responses with that of the National Association of Regional Game Councils in Ireland, who reacted to the illegal shooting of a buzzard in January this year. Here’s what NARGC Director Des Crofton had to say:

“The shooting of birds of prey, who are all protected, can only be condemned in the strongest possible terms. The person who shot this bird is not fit to have a firearm. I would urge the authorities, if the person is identified, that they are prosecuted, have their firearm licence revoked and never allowed have one again. This is inexcusable. If I ever found one of my members was responsible for something like this, he would be out of the association so fast his feet wouldn’t touch the ground“.

We blogged about Des Crofton’s statement at the time (see here), and mentioned that an equally strong leadership approach was required from industry leaders in England and Scotland. Sadly, it seems they’re not up to the job.

It would also be good to see a statement from the estate that leased the land to the Cliburn Shoot syndicate, stating that the lease had been withdrawn.

Burne dumping BZ in bucket

Buzzard-killing video – WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

Further to our earlier story (here) about gamekeeper Colin Burne, convicted for trapping buzzards and clubbing them to death, the RSPB has now posted the unedited version of their covert video surveillance.

WARNING – GRAPHIC CONTENT. Video can be viewed here.

Burne clubbing buzzard to death