Tag: peregrine

Latest SASA figures reveal widespread poisoning incidents in early 2011

The latest figures detailing illegal animal poisoning incidents in the first quarter of 2011 have just been released by Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) on behalf of the Scottish Government.

The figures cover the period January to March 2011, and show that criminal raptor poisoning incidents were detected in each of the three months. They include 3 buzzards, 1 golden eagle, 1 red kite and 2 peregrines.  Poisoning incidents were widespread, taking place across Scotland, including in the Borders, Strathclyde, Tayside, Grampian and the Highlands. The illegal poisons used included Carbofuran, Chloralose and Strychnine. So much for the game-shooting industry’s self-regulation. I guess 2011 will not be the year they ‘stamp out’ illegal raptor persecution.

Not for the first time, two of the five recorded incidents were apparently unpublicised in the media: 1 x buzzard poisoned with Carbofuran in the Borders in January 2011, and 1 x red kite poisoned with Chloralose in the Highland region in February 2011.

SASA poisoning figures for period Jan – Mar 2011 available here

Peregrine falcon found with shotgun injuries in Grampian has to be destroyed

Grampian Police are appealing for information after a shot peregrine had to be destroyed. The badly injured falcon was discovered in woodlands at the Pass of Ballater in the Cairngorms National Park on 27 April by a dog walker. Tests showed the bird had been wounded by a shotgun, with the pellets causing a serious fracture to its right leg.

Force Wildlife Crime Officer Dave MacKinnon says ” I am appealing for anyone, particularly in the upper Deeside area, who may have information as to who is responsible for shooting this protected bird.  It is an absolute disgrace that anyone thinks they have justification for shooting a rare and specially protected bird.

There are a few known peregrine nest sites in the Ballater area.  These birds like to nest on cliffs hence the reason for them choosing to trying to live and breed in upper Deeside.  

This latest incident of raptor persecution in Grampian clearly indicates that some people are still prepared to break the law risking a custodial sentence, the reputation of their employers, their livelihoods and their right to possess firearms.”

This statement hints that the finger of suspicion might be pointing at someone who works in the shooting industry, perhaps on a shooting estate. The Pass of Ballatar runs through land owned by Invercauld Estate, according to a well-known geographical resource. However, this bird wasn’t neccessarily shot at the Pass of Ballater, it was just found injured there. It could have been shot somewhere else nearby – there are several other well-known shooting estates in this area close to Ballatar whose employees have also previously been convicted of wildlife crime.

Anyone with information should call Grampian Police on 0845 600 5700.

BBC news story here

More details here

West Yorkshire police warn of suspected poisoning activities near peregrine site

A police special constable and wildlife officer in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, is putting Scottish police forces to shame. Special Constable Phil Sanderson, also a retired police officer, has appealed to the public for help in what he believes is a potential poisoning threat to peregrines in his area. Compare Phil’s actions below with those of Tayside Police last week after their raid on an [un-named] Perthshire sporting estate.

A chicken carcass, believed to have been tainted with poison, was discovered in the Ryburn Valley in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, close to a peregrine nesting site. The carcass has been sent to the lab for analysis. Even though West Yorks Police are waiting for confirmation of the poisoning, they were sufficiently concerned, both for the welfare of the peregrines and for humans and domestic pets in the area, to put out a public appeal for information. They released the name of the valley where the suspect bait had been found, and they advised the public on what sort of thing to be suspicious of and what to do about it if they do see something suspicious.

Special Constable Phil Sanderson could teach Tayside Police a thing or two. Well done mate.

News story here: http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/local/find_the_poison_maniac_1_3279512

Reward offered to catch Motherwell peregrine poisoner

Two concerned members of the public have offered a £1,000 reward for information leading to a prosecution in the Motherwell peregrine poisoning incident that took place in February.

Two peregrines were killed after being poisoned with the highly toxic (and illegal) chemical strychnine, and their bodies were discovered just yards from a primary school in Motherwell. See blog post 16 March 2011 for details.

The Scottish SPCA, leading the investigation, have been unable to trace the person responsible, and it is hoped the reward will now act as an incentive for someone to come forward with new information.

SSPCA press release: http://www.scottishspca.org/news/588_reward-for-falcon-poisonings

Thanks to the contributor in France who sent us this link.

Two dead peregrines in Motherwell: strychnine poisoning confirmed

Two dead peregrines were found at the same location in Motherwell, near Glasgow, on two consecutive days in February. Tests revealed they had both been poisoned by strychnine. Strychnine is a banned pesticide, outlawed in the UK since September 2006 by the EU’s Biocide Directive, which states that it can no longer be sold or stored in the UK. Strychnine causes muscle spasms and violent seizures, acute pain and respiratory difficulties before death.

The first dead body was found at the foot of the high-rise block of flats called Coursington Tower, Motherwell, on February 15 2011. The second body was found in the same place the following day. This location is just a few metres away from a primary school and it is fortunate that the bodies were not picked up or handled by passing school children. Strychnine poisoning can be fatal in humans after absorption, inhalation or swallowing.

Interesting to note that the location where the bodies were found is also within a couple of miles of a racing pigeon club. Although the racing pigeon community does not have such a bad record as the gamekeeping community for raptor persecution, they do have a track record and peregrines are one of their well-publicised targets for hatred.

Well done to the SSPCA for taking the lead on this investigation. Anyone with information about this incident should call in confidence to the SSPCA helpline: 03000 999 999.

News story here: http://news.stv.tv/scotland/west-central/235697-falcons-poisoned-in-motherwell-with-banned-pesticide/

Peregrine Found Shot Dead in Lincoln

Police are investigating after a one-year-old peregrine falcon was found shot dead in Lincoln.

The falcon, which was killed by shotgun wounds, was recovered from Brayford Pool in the city.

It was unclear at first how the bird died, but post-mortem results have confirmed it was shot, Lincolnshire Police said.

Full Story Here – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-12682039

peregrine shot in Northern Ireland had to be euthanised

Following on from the good news in the Irish Republic (see previous post), the news from Northern Ireland puts us firmly back in reality. A peregrine falcon found injured with gunshot wounds to its wing has had to be euthanised by a vet due to the extent of its injuries.

The injured peregrine was euthanised after a veterinary examination

The bird was found by a member of the public in County Down and police have now launched an investigation, warning that those responsible will face court action.

A Northern Ireland Assembly member, Jim Wells, who is also a founder member of the Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group,  said there had been a number of targetted attacks on peregrines in recent months, with a further two incidents reported earlier this autumn. Jim blamed what he described as ‘rogue elements’ in the pigeon fanciers/pigeon racing community for attacks on peregrines, although he thought this most recent incident was likely to have been a case of mistaken or accidental shooting by wildfowlers.

Four years ago, Jim’s group said they believed a ‘hit man’ had been hired by racing pigeon enthusiasts to shoot peregrines in Northern Ireland and said as many as 30 peregrines had been shot.

BBC news story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11573736

Peregrine Falcon Shot and Injured

A male peregrine falcon has been shot and badly injured on the banks of the River Eden near Armathwaite in Cumbria.

A cyclist found the bird flapping in a field, bundled him up in a towel and put him in his rucksack before cycling to Carlisle to seek veterinary assistance.

Vet Edda Pohlandt, of Falcon Vets, London Road, Carlisle said: “The man who brought him in was cycling from Penrith to Carlisle for a physio appointment when he came across the bird. “He brought him straight in and I took a look at him. I did an x-ray and saw the pellet and the shattered bones. I put him under anaesthetic and then operated on him”

The injured wing must be kept in a sling for four weeks before Edda can carry out another x-ray. She said: “Birds tend to heal faster than humans. I’ll make a decision in a few weeks whether or not to take the pins out and see how he goes.

We have no further information at this stage as to any possible police enquiry

More on this story – http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk/news/cumbria-vet-saves-life-of-shot-peregrine-falcon-1.761740?referrerPath=2.1825/2.1825

And here – http://raptorpolitics.org.uk/?p=1988#more-1988

RSPB Birdcrime 2009 Report Shows Continuing Raptor Persecution

The RSPB’s annual Birdcrime 2009 report was published today and shows that 2009 was the second worst year for raptor persecution in the last decade.

This depressing report shows that there were 384 reported persecution incidents against birds of prey in the UK  during 2009, 123 in Scotland, 224 in England, 17 in Wales and 11 in Northern Ireland, 9 incidents could not be allocated to a single country and were recorded at a UK level. Incidents include trapping, shooting, poisoning and nest destruction.

Again the trend showed that most incidents involved game shooting interests with a bias towards the upland grouse moors in Scotland and Northern England where the main victims of persecution are: golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, hen harrier, goshawk, peregrine and red kite.

In the report, the RSPB has made 11 recommendations for government action, so that these appalling crimes can be eradicated. These include the introduction of a “vicarious liability” offence which would make land managers and owners responsible for the actions of their employees.

Despite several successful prosecutions the conviction rate and subsequent sentencing appears pitifully poor and ineffective.

Full RSPB Report – http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/birdcrime_tcm9-260567.pdf

 

Jail for man convicted of persecuting raptors – not in Scotland, obviously

Take note, Scottish sheriffs. Here is an example of how to deal with a wildlife criminal who persecutes birds of prey.

Today, convicted wildlife criminal Jeffrey Lendrum was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison by Judge Christopher Hodson at Warwick Crown Court, England. He had been arrested in May at Birmingham International Airport when he was found to have 14 peregrine eggs wrapped in socks and strapped to his body. The eggs had been stolen from four separate nests in South Wales. Investigators believe they were stolen to order for an Arab falconer in Dubai.

During sentencing, Judge Hodson said: “These were eggs you had removed from the wild in Wales and you would have reduced the number of these high-level endangered species in the wild, birds which enhance the attraction of the countryside to all. I quote the words of a Lord Justice of Appeal (Lord Justice Sedley) when he says, ‘environmental crime, if established, strikes not only at a locality and its population but in some measure to the planet and its future’. Nobody should be allowed to doubt its seriousness or to forget that one side of the environmental story is always untold‘. I adopt these words to express the gravity of what you did.”

The court was also told that Lendrum had previous convictions for similar offences in Zimbabwe and Canada. Of the 14 eggs stolen in this case, 12 chicks hatched and 11 survived. 7 of these were fostered into nests in southern Scotland and 4 were reared and released in England.

BBC news story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-11024315