Standing up for Nature
Farming Today interviewed Ian Thomson from the RSPB about last Wednesday’s proposals to license game shooting in Scotland. Starts 7 minutes 20 seconds into the programme. RSPB not against driven grouse shooting. Scottish Land and Estates all in favour of stamping out wildlife crime but did a Theresa May and sent a note instead of…
The Peak District is a fulcrum for change in the British uplands and has been the scene of three Hen Harrier Day events so far. Each of those events was held in the constituency of Andrew Bingham, High Peak, but we didn’t see him at any of them. The constituents of High Peak were strong…
Calder Valley was the constituency that provided the most signatures for my e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting. In fact it produced 871 (out of 123,077) signatures. The rival e-petition, supporting grouse shooting, accumulated just 31 signatures in Calder Valley (and only 25,322 overall). And yet Conservative MP for the Calder Valley, Craig Whittaker, spoke…
Golden Eagles are illegally killed on grouse moors – it’s official. It’s not a surprise, and it’s been a while coming, but there isn’t a hiding place for grouse moor managers in Scotland. And we are sure to see Scottish politicians following through on this report – after all, they’ve had enough time to think…
Police are appealing for information as another dead raptor is found in the Yorkshire Dales National Park – this time a Buzzard just about a mile from the much-visited Malham Cove Peregrine site. The bird’s body was found (no details of when are given – 16 May) by a local farmer and a post-mortem X-ray…
I’ve been in Scotland for a couple of days and the glens were ringing to the sound of rejoicing as the Holyrood Parliament’s Environment Committee decided to explore the option of licensing of driven grouse shooting (see detailed coverage by our friends at Raptor Persecution UK). This is good news and all credit to the…
The RSPB video of a man collecting Hen Harrier feathers, some apparently still attached to the bird, has now been viewed more than 15,000 times. If you get to it via the RSPB website and are all fired up about wildlife crime then the RSPB offers a suggestion for how you can help.
According to the Carluke Gazette: About 5.15pm on May 4, Police Scotland received a report regarding a male who shot and killed a Hen Harrier, near to the B7040 from Leadhills to Elvanfoot. Inspector Martin Speirs is reported to have said: ‘A number of witnesses have come forward, and significant enquiry is underway. I urge…
The Campaign for National Parks has published its ‘manifesto‘ – which is actually a small begging letter – for the general election. It’s a disappointing list. The CNP wants: Strengthening national planning protections for the National Parks Protecting the funding currently committed to the National Parks for the next five years so they can be…
Bloomsbury (of which Poyser is now a part) are reissuing Donald Watson’s classic book on the Hen Harrier this summer. My copy of the book sits within reach on my desk right now and it was the first Christmas present that my then girlfriend, now wife, gave me, very nearly 40 years ago. Watson’s…