A bloggee has asked about the poisoning of a female Golden Eagle in the Scottish Borders. This happened 18 months ago and it is as follows


Breeding female Golden eagle in Scottish Borders poisoned

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A joint investigation by Lothian and Borders Police, RSPB Scotland, the Scottish SPCA and the Scottish Executive discovered poisoned bait on a grouse moor in the Borders. Ironically, it was found on the 'glorious twelfth', marking the start of the grouse shooting season.
The death is especially sickening given that the pair raised a chick this year, and although the chick has fledged and is now semi-independent, it was still being fed by both parents and so there is now a significant concern for its safety.

Bob Elliot, head of investigations at RSPB Scotland said: 'Despite being excellent golden eagle country, the Borders have been a real black hole in terms of golden eagle breeding in Scotland. Sadly, illegal persecution of birds of prey continues to be a shameful fact of life in parts of Scotland in the 21st Century, and the evidence shows that there is a correlation between the location of grouse moors and the incidence of raptor poisoning.

'Now, after 9 or 10 years together, one of the only breeding pair of golden eagles in the Borders is dead, and we hope that by offering a reward, a member of the public will help the police to catch the perpetrator and bring them to justice.'

PC Mark Rafferty, wildlife crime officer with Lothian and Borders police said: 'This incident goes to show that people are still willing to take a risk, and the result is that one of Scotland's finest birds has now been destroyed. This is criminal behaviour, and I'd ask for the public and particularly the gamekeeping community to come forward with information on this or any illegal wildlife crime'

RSPB Scotland is now offering a reward of £1000 for information with regards to the case, and people should call PC Mark Rafferty on 07785 248 455.



Given the apparent corrolation between the location of Grouse Moors and the incidence of poisoning of birds of prey the fact that this incident was on the Glorious 12th should not come as surprise. If you have paid several hundred quid for the pleasure of slaughtering many more birds than you and your city friends can possibly eat you really need to ensure that there is no competition from natural predators. The unnatural ones:Fat Cats come in many guises-the tweeded green wellied variety are even more deadly than their furry feline name sakes.

It seems

Labels: Grouse Moors, Poisoning Birds, Scottish Borders

  ¶ 5:32 PM (0) comments

 
Legitimate Grouse?


Despite the prevalence of country pursuits around here -huntin', shootin', fishin' and Boy Racers not Tout Berwickshire are in favour of all of them:

SIR, - The first day of the grouse-shooting season - fondly referred to by the shooting community as the ‘Glorious 12th’ - has just passed. Typically, wealthy shooters kill around half a million of these birds, whose population has been boosted to unnatural levels by intensive management of the UK's moorlands.
There are many reasons to oppose the killing of grouse. A large number of native birds and mammals who interfere with grouse shooting are trapped, poisoned or snared. Victims include stoats, weasels, and even iconic raptors such as hen harriers, red kites and golden eagles.
Also, an unnatural, heather-rich environment is created because the grouse thrive on young heather shoots. To create fresh young shoots, the heather is burned, which can harm wildlife and damage the environment.
There is nothing ‘glorious’ about shooting birds for the pleasure of extinguishing life. Readers who wish to find out more about the horrors of ‘game’ shooting and what they can do to help to campaign against this bloodsport, should contact Animal Aid for an information pack.

OK, this is written by an anti bloodsports organisation based in deepest Kent albeit published in the Berwickshire News but certainly the piece about poisoning or trapping native birds will strike a chord here amongst many people who are ashamed that the Borders leads the UK in this regard including the destruction of a Golden Eagle not so long ago-as you can read in a previous post (scroll down)
I happened to chat to a gamekeeper from the Lammermuirs about the grouse season and the collateral damage arising from the protection of the game birds (protection withdrawn on 12 August)He got very upset about a 'townee' interfering in matters he could not possibly understand and said that the trapping, poisoning or shooting of raptors, buzzards etc were done for the best possible motives and to preserve the integrity of rural life without which, inter alia, developers would soon run out of good building land.

And I must be careful as the gamekeeper advised me always to put such country sports into the context of the 'spirit of the age'. A similar suggestion, I believe, was once used by a Roman philosopher to explain the popularity of the Circuses at the Colosseum and the great fun had by all slaughtering the odd Christian.

Strictly in season of course

Thank you Bamboo Mouse for this image of a painting of a Red Grouse. Happy 11th August! See much more here

Labels: Beast of Berwickshire, Blood sports, Fishing, Hunting, Poisoning Birds, Shooting Season

  ¶ 12:05 PM (2) comments

 
BROONS VERSUS BUZZARDS

Poor farmers get a lot of stick around Ber-wickshire: mud on roads, irritating tractors impeding Mr Toad's impetous progress, noisesome slurry, concreting over good farming land, that sort of thing. But poisoning Buzzards?

The top story in the Berwickshire is headed :

POISONED BAITS USED TO KILL BIRDS AT GREENLAW

and describes how 25 poisoned baits to kill birds of prey have been discovered on private estates around Greenlaw, within a one square mile radius-the highest number ever recorded in one location- thus showing how, in one activity at least, Berwickshire leads the civilised world.

The poison Carbofuran was discovered in carcasses of hares and rabbits leading to the death of six buzzards, two crows and a magpie over a six month period last year. A member of the public apparently blew the whistle but 'no one was held to account' as 'it is understood that issues over land ownership may have complicated the question' Whatever that may mean: 'No Officer thats Farmer Broon's field, not mine, honest' Or something.

And its not just Buzzards, Magpies and crows. Last August one half of a breeding pair of Golden Eagles was killed by poisoning in the Borders. The RSPB says that this kind of crime is on the increse and that 'poisoning is still sadly considered par for the course by some people in Scotland' But no collar has been felt (or as my father would have put it : 'no one has been put up against the wall and shot.' Lothian and Borders Finest claim that 'these cases were notoriously difficult to prosecute due to the lack of witnesses in rural areas such as the estates around Greenlaw' One should perhaps ask whom on the 'Private Estates' has the motive and the oppurtunity and then go around breaking down a few front doors in the wee small hours.

And one might also ask why, given that the last poisoning incident was September, no publicity has been given until now. The Police Spokeswoman was asked this same question and 'could give no information'

Rural ranks closing with a resounding clang might explain it.

Labels: Berwickshire, Buzzards, Poisoning Birds

  ¶ 11:08 AM (4) comments

  Borders: Scotland's favourite have a pot shot destination

Many people might agree that the letter writer to this week's Berwickshire has a point. The peaceful friendly Borders has a dreadful reputation as far as the illegal killing of wild life is concerned.

- TThe most serious crimes are committed against people and perpetrators must be dealt with severely.
However, criminals who harm wildlife are to be pitied as well as punished, for they cannot aspire to anything greater than ignorance, greed and cruelty.
Ignorant because they do not understand that all of nature’s creatures exist in harmony, until man upsets the natural balance.
For example, if we try to eradicate rabbits, then of course the fox has to look for other prey. If a fox should take one of my hens, then it is my fault for not protecting them sufficiently, as the fox is only behaving naturally.
Keeping pigeons is a fascinating hobby, but people who do so must recognise that to a certain extent they are working against nature, not with it. It is inevitable that a pigeon will occasionally be lost to a raptor, but to suggest that birds of prey should be killed because of this is just plain ignorant - and selfish.
The same goes for landowners and farmers who are responsible for the deaths of golden eagles and red kites etc. Their motivation is pure greed as the only beauty they see is a healthy bank balance from the season’s shooting.
Then there are the badger baiters and dog ‘fighters’ who are so low down the pecking order of intelligence that they actually take pleasure in being cruel to animals.
Everyone should note that it does not do the reputation of Berwickshire any good if the only reason we feature in national news is because of wildlife crime.
We think we are so superior and ‘civilised’ in Britain, but we have a great deal to learn about sustainable and harmonious living from the ‘primitive’ tribes of the Amazon forests.

It may be a bit unfair to blame the land owners and farmers but I suppose you should start somewhere

Labels: Badger baiting. Golden Eagle poisoning, Borders Wildlife

  ¶ 1:15 PM (0) comments