Scottish Raptor Study Group

News for July 2015

Six kestrels satellite-tagged
28th July 2015
Six young kestrels have been satellite-tagged as part of a long-term monitoring study of kestrel ecology in southern Scotland. SRSG member Gordon Riddle has been monitoring kestrels in Ayrshire for decades and it is hoped the information provided by the satellite tags will provide more insight in to the dispersal and movements of these birds. Project updates on each of the kestrels can be found on Gordon's website here.

New e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting in England
21st July 2015
A new e-petition has been launched calling for a ban on driven grouse shooting in England. The petition states: Grouse shooting for 'sport' depends on intensive habitat management which damages protected wildlife sites, increases water pollution, increases flood risk, increases greenhouse gas emissions and too often leads to the illegal killing of protected wildlife such as hen harriers.

If you are a British citizen or a UK resident you are eligible to sign this petition. Please sign here. 

'We're missing our hen harriers and we want them back' - join the social media Thunderclap!
20th July 2015
A social media Thunderclap is a single message that is mass-shared on the same date and at the same time on social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter. It is an easy way for an individual to spread a message along with many other like-minded individuals.

To coincide with this year's Hen Harrier Day, a special Thunderclap has been set up that will send a message ('We're missing our hen harriers and we want them back') to millions of social media users at 10am on Sunday 9th August.

So far, the social reach of this year's Thunderclap is over 3.2 million people. If you have a Facebook or Twitter account, please sign up and join in - it just takes a few seconds!

Join here.

Thank you!

Hen Harrier Day 
20th July 2015
This year's Hen Harrier Day falls on Sunday 9th August, just three days before the start of the grouse-shooting season. Hen Harrier Day was launched in 2014 as a way of drawing attention to the illegal killing of hen harriers on driven grouse moors. This year there will be two Hen Harrier Day events in Scotland with which anyone can join in. One event will be held at Craignure on the Isle of Mull and the other event at Loch Turret in Perth & Kinross. The latter event is being co-organised by the Tayside Raptor Study Group and the Scottish Ornithologists' Club. For further details of these and other Hen Harrier Day events, please visit the Hen Harrier Day website here.

T in the Park: Strathallan Estate ospreys 'coped well'
13th July 2015
A pair of breeding ospreys that were at the centre of a row over the siting of the T in the Park festival appeared to have 'coped well', according to an article in the Courier. There had been concerns that the birds would be disturbed by the close proximity of the festival and the associated noise but a spokesman for the local council said: "The ospreys were closely monitored over the weekend and both adult birds are still present at the nest site with their chicks and behaving normally. The package of measures stipulated in the planning consent, which RSPB Scotland called for, including changes to the festival site layout, introduction of buffer zones around the nest and restrictions on activities including fireworks and lighting, all appear to have been successful in preventing disturbance to the birds". Courier article here.

Golden eagle monitoring in the Highlands
6th July 2015
The Guardian has published a series of fantastic photographs showing SRSG fieldworkers accessing golden eagle nests and fitting GPS trackers to young eaglets. Justin Grant (Highland Raptor Study Group) and Dr Ewan Weston (North East Raptor Study Group) are featured and these images provide a rare insight to their field skills. Go here to see the images.

Sparrowhawks doing well in Edinburgh
4th July 2015
Sparrowhawks are thriving in and around Edinburgh, according to the results of a long-term monitoring scheme undertaken by members of the Lothian & Borders Raptor Study Group. Article in the Scotsman here.

Archive:

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.