Tag: golden eagle

golden eagles, peregrines & buzzards illegally killed in 1989

According to the Hansard Report April 2004 (Hansard is the edited verbatim report of proceedings in UK parliament), the following illegal raptor persecution incidents were recorded in 1989:

Roxburghe Estate (nr Kelso, Scottish Borders) – 1 x buzzard killed by Mevinphos.

Carbeth Estate (Stirlingshire) – 1 x buzzard killed by Chloralose.

Langholm Estate (Dumfries & Galloway) – 1 x peregrine killed by Mevinphos.

Drumochter Estate (Dalwhinnie, Inverness-shire) – 1 x golden eagle killed by Chloralose.

Islay Estate (Strathclyde) – 1 x buzzard killed by Mevinphos.

Islay Estate (Strathclyde) – 1 x peregrine shot.

Monzie Estate (Crieff, Perthshire) – 1 x buzzard killed by Chloralose.

This report was published in the days when the government publicised the names of the Estates where illegal raptor persecution incidents had been recorded. Shame they don’t do that anymore – you have to wonder why? The Hansard report documenting these and other persecution incidents, can be read here: http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1994/apr/28/registers-of-scotland

Scottish police accused of failing to tackle wildlife crime

POLICE forces in Scotland have been accused of failing to tackle wildlife crime after it was revealed that just 24 cases of illegal killing of birds of prey have been taken to court in five years.

Out of 157 cases involving killing the birds – including golden eagles, red kites and hen harriers – just 15 per cent have resulted in court action.

And the average penalty for a crime linked to persecution of birds of prey was just £240, despite the maximum available penalty being £10,000 or a year in jail.

Read more at: http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/news/System-39failing39-on-wildlife-crime.6130378.jp

golden eagle found poisoned on glenfeshie estate, Cairngorms

RSPB investigator with the poisoned golden eagle on Glenfeshie Estate.

A golden eagle was found dead on the Glenfeshie Estate, Cairngorms, in June 2006. It was the second golden eagle found this year, after the eagle found poisoned a few months earlier on the Dinnet & Kinnord Estate in nearby Ballater. Both birds had ingested the illegal pesticide Carbofuran.

The RSPB put up a reward for information leading to the conviction of the people responsible for both eagle deaths. No arrests have been made.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/news-eaglereward.html#cr

At the time, local raptor workers thought that this eagle had been ‘dumped’ on the Glenfeshie Estate in retaliation for the Estate’s plans to reduce red deer numbers. In recent years, the Glenfeshie Estate has been closely involved with golden eagle conservation projects, in association with Roy Dennis and his eagle satellite-tagging efforts – which makes the theory about the Estate being ‘set up’ in 2006 quite plausible. It is clear that Glen Feshie actively supports golden eagle conservation.

golden eagle found poisoned on Dinnet & Kinnord Estate, Ballater, Aberdeenshire

The poisoned eagle found on the Dinnet Estate

A golden eagle found dead by a hillwalker in June 2006 had been poisoned with Carbofuran. The bird was found on the Dinnet & Kinord Estate near Ballater, Aberdeenshire. No arrests have been made. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/5086162.stm

The eagle, in adult plumage, was likely to have been part of a breeding pair. The region holds approximately 18 pairs of breeding golden eagles, although if persecution wasn’t so high here, there is suitable habitat to support at least twice that number.

Poisoned golden eagle found on isle of lewis

During July 2005 a dead golden eagle was discovered by a hillwalker on top of a hill in Morsgail on the Isle of Lewis.

The poisoned eagle at Morsgail, Isle of Lewis

Analysis showed that it had been poisoned with the banned pesticide carbofuran. Carbofuran is one of eight compounds listed on the Possession of Pesticides (Scotland) Order 2005. Anyone in possession of these poisons commits an offence under section 15 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Staff from Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD), and Northern Constabulary police officers conducted searches on four premises on the island. No arrests have been made but enquiries are continuing.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/legaleagle48_tcm9-132971.pdf

2 golden eagles poisoned in Kingussie, Strathspey

An adult female golden eagle and her chick were found dead on the nest in Kingussie, Strathspey in August 1999. Post mortem results revealed they had been posioned by Carbofuran.

No arrests have been made.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/422629.stm

Golden eagle & buzzard found poisoned on West Glenalmond Estate, Perthshire

In October and December 1998, a dead golden eagle and a buzzard were found on the Glenalmond Estate in Perthshire. The carcass of a red grouse was found close by, and tests later showed it had been used as a poisoned bait. The golden eagle had been killed by ingesting the illegal pesticide, Yaltox.

In Perth Sheriff Court in December 2000, a local gamekeeper was acquitted of all charges. He was also acquitted of further charges related to laying poisoned baits for either a peregrine or a golden eagle.

News story here

white-tailed sea eagle found poisoned on Turnalt Farm, Kilmelford, Argyll

The dead sea eagle lies slumped over the posioned lamb bait

A dead white-tailed sea eagle was found slumped over a lamb carcass on Turnalt Farm, Kilmelford, Argyll, in May 2002. Tests showed it had been posioned with chloralose. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/scotland/1971648.stm

http://news.scotsman.com/news/Rare-sea-eagle-was-poisoned.2324749.jp

A golden eagle was found poisoned on the same farm in February 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1971648.stm

Golden eagle found poisoned on Cawdor Estate, Invernesshire

A golden eagle found dead on Cawdor Estate, Invernesshire, on 6 August 2001 had been poisoned by Carbofuran. The dead eagle’s decomposed remains were found by a hillwalker.

Cawdor Estate Factor John Higson and Head Gamekeeper Roddy Forbes denied any wrong-doing and suggested that the dead eagle could have been brought in by someone in their rucksack and planted on the estate to cause trouble. This explanation is commonly used by Alex Hogg, Chairman of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, to account for the numbers of dead raptors that turn up on shooting estates. Our sources suggest that recent DNA evidence has proven these claims unfounded.

Since 1988, there have been six other incidents involving the illegal use of poisons connected to the Cawdor Estate. These include:

1988: A pet labrador dies after consuming the deadly poison, strychnine, while walking on Cawdor estate.

1992: A buzzard, magpie and sheep all laced with strychnine are discovered on the estate.

1993: A buzzard found poisoned by the toxin, alphachloralose, on Forestry Commission land 100 metres from the boundary of Cawdor estate.

1994: Three buzzards and rabbit bait found poisoned by alphachloralose on Cawdor.

1996: Three baits discovered containing poisons: a hare laced with alphachloralose, a goat with aldicarb and a wigeon with strychnine.

1996: A hidden pit containing a suspected birds of prey poisoning kit uncovered by investigators three miles from Cawdor Castle.

1999: A report sent to the procurator fiscal alleging that mountain hares were illegally persecuted in snares.

2000: A second report submitted to the fiscal claiming mistreatment of hares.

2001: A dead eagle found on Cawdor estate confirmed to contain the lethal poison, carbofuran.

No convictions have been made as it has not been possible to identify the individual who laid the bait.

For further information: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20010826/ai_n13961693/?tag=content;col1

Young golden eagle poisoned in Ireland

The body of the poisoned golden eagle found in Ireland in February 2010.

Raptor persecution is not just limited to Scotland. It is also prevalent in other parts of the UK and the Irish Republic. We will be highlighting these incidents on this blog in due course, beginning with the young golden eagle that was found poisoned in Ireland in February 2010.

Any golden eagle poisoning event is tragic, but this one particularly so. This 10 month old eagle hatched in the wild in Donegal in 2009 and became one of the first wild-bred golden eagles in Ireland for over 100 years. The Golden Eagle Trust has been working hard to re-establish a population of golden eagles in Ireland, after they were persecuted to extinction during the last century. Young golden eagle chicks have been donated from nests across Scotland (typically from nests containing two chicks where usually only one chick would survive naturally) and released and monitored throughout north-west Ireland.

This eagle had been poisoned by Nitroxynil, which had been poured over the fleece of a dead lamb.

For further detailed information, please see: http://www.goldeneagle.ie/news_viewnews.php?x=5&z=132&news_id=11&article=262