Two dead peregrines were found in June 2003, lying together below cliffs on a beach in an area known locally as the Three Moothed Caves in Findochty, Morayshire. Forensic testing showed that both had been poisoned with Carbofuran, and police believe the birds had been thrown off the top of the cliffs and dumped, as there wasn’t a known peregrine nest at the site.
A peregrine falcon found dead close to its nest in Strathaven, South Lanarkshire in July 2003 had been poisoned with Carbofuran. The male adult was part of a breeding pair. His female mate has not been since and their eggs ‘disappeared’ from the nest.
Peregrines face persecution from several sources. They are targeted by gamekeepers, especially on grouse moors, and also by egg collectors, falconers and pigeon fanciers.
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.
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.
During July 2005 a dead golden eagle was discovered by a hillwalker on top of a hill in Morsgail on the 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.
In August 2006, a police raid on Blythe Farm, near Lauder in the Scottish Borders, led to the discovery of pheasant baits laced with poison (carbofuran) as well as several illegal cage traps baited with live pigeons to lure in birds of prey.
In April 2007, gamekeeper George “Doddie” Aitken was found guilty at Selkirk Sheriff Court. Sheriff Kevin Drummond sentenced him to 220 hours community service. A gamekeeper for 20 years, Aitken, who had turned up to court wearing a black balaclava, was allowed to keep his job. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/6719505.stm
In January 2008, the owner of Blythe Farm, James McDougal, became the first landowner to be punished for the crimes committed by his gamekeeper. His agricultural subsidies were cut by £7,919 for his failure to protect wildlife. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jan/07/ruralaffairs.scotland
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.
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
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
After several poisoning incidents in the Glenfarg area of Perthshire over a number of years, a buzzard poisoned by carbofuran was found on the Balmanno Estate in November 2001.
Tayside Police, the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department and the RSPB searched the shooting estate, as well as the premises of the gamekeeper, on 15 March 2002, under powers of the Food and Environment Act. On the estate, they found a freshly dead crow, which was later found to contain carbofuran. At the keeper’s premises they found a small quantity of carbofuran, a small egg collection and several gin traps with pieces of fur on the jaws. The keeper was detained and admitted that he had used the gin traps to take fox cubs. Admissions were also made in relation to the buzzard’s egg.
After many hearings, stretching back to an original trial date of 19 November 2002, the keeper changed his pleas to guilty. On 12 November 2003, at Perth Sheriff Court, he pleaded guilty to charges of possession of carbofuran in an unlabelled container, possession of several gin traps for use against foxes and possession of one buzzard egg.
The Procurator Fiscal accepted a ‘not guilty’ plea to poisoning a crow with carbofuran. The keeper was fined £250.
In Scotland, gin traps were only banned for use against foxes in 1974; in England and Wales, they were banned in 1958.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/23-0617-03-04_legal%20eagle40%20v2_tcm9-132963.pdf
Raptor Persecution UK 