Scottish Raptor Study Group

News for January 2015

Environment Minister visits Cairngorms National Park to discuss raptor persecution
20th January 2015
Environment Minister Dr Aileen McLeod has attended a meeting in the Cairngorms National Park to meet with landowners, the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) and SNH to discuss a number of issues, including raptor persecution. The meeting follows a request by CNPA last year after concerns were raised about the on-going persecution of raptors on the eastern side of the National Park. Further details here.

The eradication of mountain hares in eastern and southern Scotland is 'disgraceful', says SRSG member Roy Dennis
17th January 2015
Scottish Raptor Study Group member and noted ecologist Roy Dennis has joined the growing voices against the widespread culling of mountain hares. In an interview with the BBC's Out of Doors team, he called the eradication of hares in eastern and southern Scotland "disgraceful" and called for a voluntary two-year moratorium on the culls, to allow time to assess the species' conservation status. Further details here.

Fingerprints 'breakthrough' for wildlife crime investigators
14th January 2015
Scientists says they have made a forensic breakthrough in the fight againt wildlife crime. A team from the University of Abertay in Dundee has been able to recover fingerprints from the feathers of birds of prey. If a dead bird found in suspicious circumstances has been handled, the fingerprints could help to identify a potential suspect. The researchers have also developed a technique for recovering fingerprints from eggs, which could hep to identify egg collectors. Full story here.

Gamekeeper receives four-month custodial sentence for raptor crimes
12th January 2015
Gamekeeper George Mutch, 48, of Kildrummy Estate, Aberdeenshire, has been sentenced to a four month prison term for crimes he committed against raptors. He is believed to be the first gamekeeper in the UK to receive a custodial sentence for raptor persecution crimes. Mutch was convicted in December 2014 of four offences: the use of traps for the purpose of taking wild birds, the killing of a goshawk (which he had trapped and then clubbed to death with a stick), the taking of another goshawk, and the taking of a buzzard. The offences took place on the Kildrummy Estate in August and September 2012. Mutch had denied the allegations, leading to a trial where video evidence collected by RSPB Scotland proved central to his conviction. The Scottish Raptor Study Group welcomes the strong sentence and congratulates all those involved in the prosecution, particularly the RSPB Investigations Team, SSPCA, Police Scotland, and COPFS. News coverage here, here and here.

Call for voluntary restraint on large scale mountain hare culls
6th January 2015
Concerns over the unsustainability of the mass culling of mountain hares on grouse moors in recent years has led to a call for land managers to exercise 'voluntary restraint'. SNH has also initiated further studies to trial several methods of assessing mountain hare population densities, in order to evaluate the conservation impact of the culls. Some have criticised this approach, arguing that SNH could do a lot more to protect this keystone species. A petition has been launched calling for SNH to confer immediate, full protected status on the mountain hare and formally end the widespread culls.

"Medical miracle" sea eagle found dead on Mull
5th January 2015
A four-year old white-tailed eagle called Kellan, described by experts as a "medical miracle", has been found dead on the Isle of Mull. Kellan was rescued by RSPB Scotland 2010 after suffering a broken leg and wing. He was nursed back to health by the SSPCA and released back to the wild. The cause of death is not known but isn't considered suspicious. Full story here.

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2015: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August,
2014: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December,
2013: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December,
2012: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.