Category: Persecution Incidents in England

Pigeon fancier gets police caution for killing sparrowhawks

An un-named pigeon fancier in Bedfordshire has received a police caution after admitting to shooting (and killing) sparrowhawks.

The joint investigation by Bedfordshire Police and the RSPB took place between February – May this year and culminated in the discovery of three dead sparrowhawks. An air weapon was seized during the investigation.

Police Inspector Tracey Day, Bedfordshire Police’s wildlife crime officer said: “Wildlife crime in Bedfordshire is taken seriously and the force will continue to ensure that a positive approach is taken to all matters reported that involve crime against wildlife“.

So, why wasn’t this man named and why did he only receive a police caution for offences that can attract fines of up to £5,000 and/or a six month prison term?

Bedfordshire on Sunday article here

Thank you to the contributor who sent us this link.

Police cautions for Devon peregrine disturbers

Back in March we blogged about the activities of Police Wildlife Crime Officer Josh Marshall, who had been installing covert cameras at active raptor nest sites in Devon in a pro-active effort to deter/catch would-be wildlife crime offenders. Within 48 hours, two suspicious characters were caught on camera visiting an active peregrine site (see here).

Today, PC Marshall has announced that the two men have both received police cautions and were issued with ‘strong words of advice’ (see here).

Well done Josh, keep up the good work!

Red kites found poisoned in Chilterns

The RSPB and Hertfordshire Police are appealing for information following the discovery of two poisoned red kites in the Chilterns.

The first bird was discovered by a member of the public in January 2012, close to a public footpath near the village of Hexton. The second bird was also found by a member of the public, hanging in a bush in March 2012 less than one mile away on the Pegsdon Hill Nature Reserve run by Bedfordshire Wildlife Trust.

Tests have apparently revealed both birds had been poisoned with a highly toxic banned pesticide, although the name of the poison has not been given. On May 2nd, a multi-agency search of the area recovered a number of samples that have been sent for analysis.

The RSPB is offering a £1,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.

It’s interesting to note that neither of these poisoned kites were mentioned in the national press at the time they were discovered, nor is there an explanation for why it took four months from the first discovery for a search to be conducted. There is no mention of this investigation on the Hertfordshire Police website – the only publicity appears to be on the RSPB website. Whilst the investigation and (rather late) publicity is to be welcomed, the chances of anybody being charged for these offences now seem pretty slim.

RSPB news release here

Outrage at (more) Peak District bird of prey persecution

The RSPB and Severn Trent Water have today expressed their outrage at the ‘wanton destruction’ over the last few days of the nest of one of Britain’s most persecuted raptors. Goshawk eggs, only days from hatching, were found smashed underneath a nest in the Upper Derwent Valley on land managed by Severn Trent Water.

It is the latest in a long line of raptor persecution incidents in the Peak District (see here for a 2006 RSPB report aptly named Peak Malpractice, and here for a 2007 updated report). The last reported incident was the case of gamekeeper Glenn Brown, who was convicted last year after RSPB investigators filmed him using a caged pigeon to lure raptors into a trap on National Trust-owned Howden Moor (see here). This latest incident demonstrates just how ineffective Brown’s sentence was (100 hours community service ‘ain’t gonna deter anybody – sure, he also had to pay costs but do you really think he’ll be paying those from his own pocket?). That this latest attack has happened at all should come as no surprise to anybody.

The RSPB says this now leaves only one known active goshawk nest in the entire Derwent Valley, which previously had held six pairs. The RSPB is offering a £1,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.

RSPB press release here

£400 fine for shooting buzzard

The case against John Winn Roberts, 43, of Woodend Meadow, Ballymagorry, Strabane, Northern Ireland, who was accused of intentionally injuring a wild bird (shooting a buzzard) on the Isle of Wight last November, was finally heard yesterday after several adjournments at the Isle of Wight magistrates court (see here and here).

He pled guilty to shooting a buzzard and was fined £400 plus costs (maximum penalty available for this type of offence is £5,000 and/or a 6 month prison sentence).

Putting aside the pathetic sentence, well done to Hampshire Constabulary, RSPCA and the quarry company Barton Vectis for getting this case to court.

We haven’t yet seen any media reports about this conviction.

Case against alleged buzzard shooter adjourned again

In January 2012 we blogged about John Winn Roberts, a man accused of shooting a buzzard at a quarry site on the Isle of Wight in November 2011 (see here). He was up in court on 20th January where he pleaded not guilty to shooting the buzzard and his case was adjourned until 22 March 2012.

In court on 22 March 2012, this case was further adjourned and is now expected to result in a one-day trial at the end of April.

This case is not connected to the recent buzzard shooting on the Isle of Wight reported yesterday (here).

Isle of Wight police appeal for witnesses after buzzard found shot dead

Take note, Northern Constabulary – it’s really not that difficult to put out a timely press release when investigating a raptor persecution crime, as your police colleagues on the Isle of Wight demonstrate here:

Specialist police wildlife crime officers on the Isle of Wight are appealing for witnesses following the discovery of a dead buzzard believed to have been shot. The buzzard’s body was found on 30 March 2012 at Lower Road, Adgestone near Sandown.

Anyone with information should contact Wildlife Crime Officer PC Nick Massey at Ryde Police Station by phoning 101.

Isle of Wight News (Ventnor Blog) here

BBC news story here

Covert camera at peregrine nest catches offenders within 48 hours

A proactive police and RSPB crackdown on wildlife crime in Devon & Cornwall, called Operation Wilderness, has had its first success after two men were filmed visiting an active peregrine nest site without the appropriate licences.

The men were caught on film just 48 hours after a covert camera had been installed at the site. Police were able to identify them from the camera images and the two men, aged 44 and 43, were found to be in possession of a camera containing images of the peregrine nest site. Both men have been released pending further enquiries.

Full details available on Devon Police Wildlife Crime Officer Josh Marshall’s blog here

Well done Josh and all involved – excellent work! For more information about why Operation Wilderness was launched, see earlier blog post here.

Red kite found poisoned in North Yorkshire

An article published in the York Press today reports that a poisoned red kite has been found near Pickering in North Yorkshire.

It was reportedly found in woodland at Cawthorn Roman Camp, and was rescued by a dog walker. The bird is now being cared for at Ryedale Wildlife Rehabilitation.

PC Stewart Ashton of North Yorkshire Police said: “Despite it being illegal to harm birds of prey, we have intelligence that people are still actively killing them in areas of Ryedale“.

According to the article, North Yorks Police are appealing for help in catching the person(s) responsible for this latest poisoning incident, although it is not known when the bird was found, what it was poisoned with, and no details are provided about who should be contacted. There isn’t a press statement on the North Yorks Police website either.

According to RSPB statistics, North Yorkshire was identified as having the highest level of reported raptor persecution incidents in the UK in 2010 (see here).

York Press news article here

Nest cameras to protect raptors in south west England

In a bid to tackle increasing levels of wildlife crime, Devon & Cornwall Police have teamed up with the RSPB to launch ‘Operation Wilderness’, a new scheme that will see 24 hr nest cameras installed at vulnerable sites across the region.

This is a proactive response to the spate of raptor persecution incidents last year, which included the illegal poisoning (with Carbofuran) of four goshawks and a buzzard (see here) and three peregrines (see here and here). There is also concern about egg collectors and pigeon fanciers in the area.

The cameras have been paid for by the Devon Bird Watching and Preservation Society, and Operation Wilderness is being led by Police Wildlife Crime Officer PC Josh Marshall.

Well done to everyone involved  – this is an impressive  joint effort.

BBC news article here