The Hawk and Owl Trust supports E-petition !!

Following discussions with Barbara Handley  ( Chair of the Trustees, Hawk and Owl Trust ) , E-mails with HQ and a follow up conversation with Lin Murray (HOT PR Officer ) I can advise that the Trust has pledged its full support for the E-petition. The decision by the Trustees was unanimous and the petition will now be promoted to members and HOT's contacts at a variety of intervals over the next months and previous to the petition closing in February, 2014.

Such generous support is extremely welcome and will no doubt assist greatly in promoting the need for regulation on upland grouse moors and gamekeepers via a licencing system. Until recently the Hawk and Owl Trust played a role within the Environment Council's Hen Harrier Dialogue process, but withdrew after a prolonged period of discussion had resulted in no progress whatsoever. This followed a similar withdrawal by both the RSPB and the North East Raptor Forum.

Clearly the current situation needs a fresh impetus given the unrelenting level of raptor persecution which exists. The petition addresses that issue, in its broadest context, and hopefully will result in some serious consideration of steps aimed at eliminating the continuing persecution of our birds of prey by factions within the shooting fraternity who set themselves above the law.

Hawk and Owl Trust..........many thanks indeed !!.

If YOU haven't yet signed the petition, please follow the link below.

Licencing upland grouse moors and gamekeepers.

Thank you.

Winter's end, here is Spring. Well, not quite!

A brief report on the last two days when birding activities have been  deliberately limited to local areas!!  It has to be said that the last two days have not been terribly kind as far as birding conditions are concerned. Fine, yes, but cold, and with a very cutting easterly/north easterly wind, which undoubtedly has managed to limit bird movement northwards.

Whilst some half- hearted calling from Lapwing and Curlew has come off the hill, the numbers appear very low, if not transient, and their appearance has certainly not been accompanied by any improvement in numbers of other typically upland species like Meadow Pipit.  Skylarks now appear to have moved back off the hill and a couple of small flocks fed on lower in bye fields.   A regular Fieldfare flock remains, but a walk around the area has not turned up anything on either day that indicates that change is under way   A Sparrowhawk yesterday rested atop a small knoll, and looked decidedly tired as it eventually moved off, somewhat reluctantly , to a similar perch a short distance away. In some senses it had provided some of the best views of an utterly pristine male bird I've ever had. And that's it, in a local context, despite reports of various summer migrants  now emerging from farther south on the UK mainland. All in good time and at their own pace!!

A Poisoners Charter in any other guise!

In October,2012 the UK Government's Environmental Audit Committee, comprising cross party representation, recommended various measures aimed at tackling wildlife crime in the UK ( excluding Scotland ), which followed an extensive public inquiry into wildlife crime.

The recommendations included,

• criminalising the possession ( not just the use ) of the poison Carbofuran.
• introducing the offence of vicarious liability.
• provide long term funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit.
• improving the recording of wildlife crime.

Today, the UK Government has, in effect , turned its back on the whole suite of recommendations.  Rather than set out the various responses and comments from either the Chairman of the Environmental Audit  Committee ( Joan Walley, MP ) or the Government Minister, may I refer you to the Raptor Persecution Scotland website and the excellent and detailed summary of the whole story under

No need to criminalise possession of Carbofuran, reckons UK Govt.

You can also access the actual Government response through a link provided at the end of that article.

To say that I am increasingly unimpressed with  DEFRA's performance is an understatement, indeed that now time honoured phrase, "unfit for purpose " appears to be the most appropriate description one might apply!  An unbelievable litany of failure, be it relating to  Buzzards, bees, raptors, Marine Conservation Zones  and , now, Carbofuran........one wonders how far the list might ultimately reach?  But let's set the rhetoric aside and take a look at Carbofuran.

The first confirmed case of the use of Carbofuran as a poison associated with a wildlife incident was in Fife, Scotland in 1988. It would now seem to be the product of choice for those intending to poison wildlife.  The approval for the use of Carbofuran in any legal form was withdrawn in 2001. It was initially introduced as an agricultural insecticide for use on a variety of crops, but now its supply, storage or use is illegal. In the period 2002-2011 there were 643 bird poisoning incidents and, of those, 49% involved the use of Carbofuran
( see the RSPB BirdCrime Report 2011 ). Leaving aside those details for the moment, the question must be raised as to the availability of the poison and the origin of supplies.  Consensus within informed opinion suggests the substance may be being imported from abroad, including Ireland, or be part of a significant supply which was stockpiled.

The table above is extracted from the RSPB's BirdCrime Report 2011, see Page 14 ).

The table shows the statistics associated with the poisoning of individual species following the point at which  it was banned in 2001 until 2011.  Simply put, if a substance is banned completely, with no legal usage allowed, then the holding of it indicates an intent to use it for a wholly illegal and premeditated purpose. And yet our " Greenest Government ever" refuses to take an additional preventative step that might just assist the already deplorable situation relating to raptor persecution. It refuses to criminalise the possession of Carbofuran as it maintains there are sufficient provisions under pesticide legislation. And remember this was a step which one of the Parliamentary committees saw as being sensible.

Leaving such argument aside, but in the face of such compelling evidence of the use of this banned substance in recent bird poisoning incidents, it is the lack of commitment exhibited by the Government towards going the extra mile and showing its concern and intent towards improving , potentially, the situation that is disappointing. One really wonders what is the real and honest motivation lying behind this reticence?

The RSPB's BirdCrime Reports.

A couple of months ago I obtained from the RSPB copies of their  BirdCrime Reports for the years 2008 to 2011. In each of these annual reports a whole series of topical articles and details from various cases are presented.  Overall they make very chilling reading as they reiterate, year on year, that the scourge of raptor persecution and akin activities is simply not going away.

I have no intention of repeating the sad array of cases represented within the cases of the reports. However, in each of the reports a series of Appendices are given under the same titles and in the same order, as follows. These more than aptly summarize what has happened within the year concerned.

• Incidents reported to the RSPB 2003-2008   { and then for subsequent periods }.
• Regional breakdown of incidents reported in 2008.
• Confirmed and probable bird of prey and owl persecution in 2008.
• Confirmed poison abuse incidents during 2008.
• Wild bird related prosecutions in 2008.      

The reports vary in length between 61 and 75 pages and consistently present a litany of wrongdoing which shows no real trend in abating. If you, like me, are disgusted at the continuing levels of raptor persecution in the UK then these reports are essential reading. Incidentally, the details are available on line from the RSPB.

The simple conclusion coming through, following any reference to the above reports, is that, contrary to the claims by the shooting fraternity, including the manic claims of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, such activities are not reducing, they are widely distributed geographically and clearly represent the bedrock of an attitude of intolerance within the shooting fraternity, whatever a more respectable minority of that community proclaim.

This is the 21st Millenium!! It doesn't include any longer the apogee of diversion for the wealthy that established itself  so firmly in Victorian times. Sadly, though, the attitudes remain, representing a yearning even,  for when independence of action could manifest itself without being questioned and the "balance of nature" was expressed through self-selected approaches aimed at producing the best circumstances for grouse and pheasant shooting!!

Outdated, selfish, arrogant and a situation demanding of subservience from those not involved....the list could go on.  However, this is now 2013, and with ever increasing pressure on wildlife and habitats,  mature and modern attitudes are required which represent the interests of everyone. Self selected approaches to wildlife control are unacceptable and something we should all seek to eliminate.

Larger moths under threat!

A little time ago I received a copy of a report from Butterfly Conservation entitled  " The State of Britain's  Larger Moths 2013".  Its conclusions result from an examination of data collected by the Rothamsted Insect Survey ( RIS ) and the National Moth Recording Scheme ( NMRS ) run by Butterfly Conservation.

Previously , a detailed analysis of 35 years of RIS data  ( 1968-2002 ) had shown significant decreases in Britain's larger moths. Further work on this moth population monitoring data, extending the period of analysis to 2007, showed the situation to be no better. These findings were then linked to the moth distribution data collected under  Butterfly Conservation's scheme.

  

The main findings make for very sober reading!  During the last 40 years the overall abundance of moths has crashed with 3 species probably having become extinct in the last decade. This situation followed 62 other species having been lost in the 20th Century!!  These are the most stark facts arising from the report but, sadly, there are more. Two-thirds of our common and widespread macro-moths, i.e. the larger ones as opposed to the tiny specimens, have declined in the last 40 years, which is an extremely worrying situation. All such appears to be part of a wider insect biodiversity crisis which includes declines in butterflies, bees and carabid beetles. Ongoing habitat loss and the deteriorating quality of our countryside are felt to be the major factors responsible.

By contrast, the review period has seen an unprecedented appearance of new moth species to Britain. More than 100 species have been recorded in Britain for the first time within the last century and 27 species have colonised Britain since the year 2000. Some of this undoubtedly results from changing climatic factors, but there have been accidental importations too. Many of these newly arriving species have colonised non-native plant species.

Whilst the latter scenario might hold some fascination, the fact remains  that the main aspect of this report signifies a catastrophic loss of biodiversity within the British countryside. As such it represents a clarion call to review the factors thought to be contributing to the declines and to draw together the necessary lines of action to bring improvement to the situation.

The above report can be downloaded from Butterfly Conservation's website at the link below

The State of Britain's Larger Moths 2013.

May I urge everyone to read it, to consider how best they might assist in improving the situation and to provide support to our conservation organizations.

On the nature of E-petitions!!

I'm conscious all this mention of E-petitions must be downright confusing to some foreign readers, so I thought that, out of courtesy, it might be worth explaining what all the fuss is about!!

I suppose, in a sense, this is  "technological progress", although it's not quite replaced what went before, at least not yet! Remember being approached to sign a petition about changing something or another?  Well this is the computer equivalent, but on a targetted subject about which you, or a group of you, are concerned about and wish the UK Government to take action upon. The UK Government has set up a system whereby you can lay down a petition requesting their action and the popularity of the subject is then gauged by the number of signatures from UK residents which it gains. If over 100,000 signatures are gained/received, the topic is considered by a Back Bench Committee with the possible outcome being that the matter is debated in Parliament.

That's setting things out in their simplest form!!  There are one or two "checks and balances", and reaching the above threshold doesn't necessarily mean the topic will be debated or that legislation will result. I suppose this is modern day democracy in action and it is incumbent  upon the person(s)  promoting the topic to advertise it widely and gain the appropriate level of support. Cynics would argue the Government of the day can still ignore the matter and proceed with a less popular choice, but at least the public has been given its chance to voice its opinion. All very idealistic, modern, novel even!  Clearly the more parallel action that accompanies the petition process,  the more the Members of Parliament will be conscious of the public's level of feeling on the matter.  So promotion is important, if not critical to the whole process. Whatever the outcome, if there is a reasonable expression of concern or opposition to some existing situation, there is a clear message being "transferred" to those in power that change is being demanded.  To ignore such sincere expression is foolhardy as dis-satisfaction can result in an elector's voting preferences being influenced and existing Government's candidates not receiving support on the occasion of the next election.

All this is simply common sense and, it has to be said, not all petitions necessarily stand for something that is universally acceptable. I might proclaim that the Pope ought to wear green shoes, but I suspect it would not result in much interest from a majority of the UK electorate or rate as a subject in which the present UK Government can take action anyway. Probably it would be filtered out early on in the submission process too!!    

So that is what is associated with the E-petition I have recently registered aimed at drawing attention to totally unacceptable levels of bird of prey persecution and the need for those responsible, and the commercial activities they are connected with, to be regulated through a licensing system. If the licensing system is breached by proof of illegal activities taking place, then the "operating licences" are withdrawn.
This is not just something that "birders" should be concerned about. It is a topic that everyone has a right to express an opinion on given it is our wildlife heritage which is being reduced by  factions within the shooting fraternity who are operating to laws of their own choosing.  Birders and conservationists by all means register your feelings, but also wives, sisters, grandma's and granddads, friends and colleagues who find the current circumstances both reprehensible and unacceptable.

YOUR SUPPORT IS REQUIRED!  PLEASE SIGN.

Licencing of upland grouse moors and gamekeepers.

Signs of winter's end. 16.3.2013.

A rolling grey sea, with far off mist shrouding views of Ireland, coupled with a north easterly wind, weren't the best circumstances for sea watching, although an advancing calendar inevitably signals a potential for change.  Increased numbers of Gannets offshore, all adults, and several parties of northward bound auks, mostly Razorbills when they could be identified, suggested this to be true. Local Fulmars stoically sat out the cold winds on their exposed corner of the island cliff on the opposite side of the bay and summer clad Black Guillemots whirred back and forth. Present too was a rowdy assemblage of Common Gulls on what will be there usual nesting area on a bluff above the beach, further signs that the season is moving forward.

Outer Loch Indaal provided further evidence of activity, with parties of Guillemot and Razorbill and numbers of Great Northern Diver dotted across the wide expanse of water, including a party of eight with two birds asleep, an indication perhaps of their recent arrival after moving north. Several Red-throated Divers were also present and a trio of Black-throated Divers, who noticeably kept close together and alert, almost acting nervously. A total of around 140 Common Scoter was strung out in the centre of the loch, riding out an increasing choppy surface and with no frenetic activity from the males as usually befits the season!  Further into the loch four Purple Sandpiper fed actively amongst the rocks at Bruichladdich as the tide advanced and , farther on, seven Light-bellied Brent Geese picked similarly at the edge of the moving body of water.

In the more sheltered waters of the Inner Loch the numbers of duck are now much reduced, an apt indicator in itself that birds have commenced on the first stage of their journey to their breeding grounds. A handful of Wigeon, a few Long-tailed Duck and odd Goldeneye provided the vestiges of what had gone before. A few Slavonian Grebe remain, now in resplendent summer plumage, but their usual winter counterparts, Greater Scaup  all appear to have departed. By contrast, numbers of Northern Eider continue to increase and Shelduck are more in evidence. Of interest was a fast moving flock of  70 Common Teal that "fled" the loch completely to the north west, either birds that had decided to move on or birds that were moving through.

Clearly a time of anticipation and change. Further north, in the increasing temperatures of mid afternoon, several Buzzards circled around over their prospective breeding territories and several Robins gave out snatches of song, all further indications that spring is on its way.

Spring........ermm! Well, sort of !

The last three weeks have been almost entirely given over to dealing with campaigning matters and arrangements relating to the E-petition.With future planning now being decided upon, actual birding should now become a reality compared to the snatched, and somewhat brief, opportunities taken up in recent days.

Looking back to last year I noted that daffodils were showing in flower by now. This year they're well advanced , but not in flower locally, no doubt boosted, on the one hand, by the prolonged spell of good weather we had, but now stopped in their tracks by the prolonged cold , easterly winds and virtually no sun. Daylight length gradually extends, but there is a sense of being in a bit of a vacuum, which certainly appears to apply to , .

This is particularly noticeable locally with the grass moors adjacent to the house being almost devoid of birds. The odd Curlew and Lapwing pair had started to have a presence on the usual higher ground , but all that activity now seems to have come to a stop and the birds ceased to be in evidence. By contrast, Herring Gulls patrol areas of open ground in small parties, presumably searching out invertebrates. As you might expect the local Golden Eagles are "in residence" and seen occasionally if looked for, but display has been less than frequent given the bad days. I keep getting visits from a group of Choughs, presumably non-breeders, who, none the less, inspect the nest boxes in the barn quite regularly, displaying some form of "avian good manners" as birds take turns to pop through the access holes! A few days ago a pair of Stonechats were obvious, doubtless having moved up from the coast which is not far away. The local pairs (2) of Starlings are active, in song and collecting nesting material in a half hearted sort of way. Odd Buzzards, Hooded Crows and Ravens, plus occasional Common and GBBG's  overfly the area and Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting, Fieldfare, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock and Wren turn up occasionally, but that's it!!  Well, it's kept me sane and I guess there are one or two species amongst all those that some people would be deliberately seeking out if they were here on holiday. So, I'm thankful, more than!.  But I shall be glad when I'm on the trail again ( I can't quite believe I've written that!! I've just been watching "The Charge at Feather River".  Yup,  it's been that desperate, folks ).

As for Spring, well I guess it'll be here soon enough,  accompanied by the first of our migrants that are now beginning to be reported in the south.

Licencing of upland grouse moors and gamekeepers.

THE E-PETITION FOR THE ABOVE HAS REACHED 2800 THIS MORNING.

LET'S SEE IF WE CAN PUSH IT BEYOND 3200 BY THE END OF THE WEEKEND.

CLICK ON THE LINK AND REGISTER YOUR SIGNATURE PLEASE.

Licencing upland grouse moors and gamekeepers.

MANY THANKS.

Deer, oh dear!

Based on work undertaken by the University of East Anglia a cull of deer throughout England is being advocated!!  Pretty far reaching one might say, but that's how the media presented the issue.

Apparently the deer populations are at a higher point at present than at any time since the last Ice Age ( impressive data base line it has to be said ! ) and are causing extensive damage to woodlands and,  increasingly, are involved in road accidents.  Seeing the film footage I immediately thought, Thetford Forest, although I'd perhaps seen it before. The Muntjac was a clue though!

The university and Forestry Commission representatives were somewhat less alarmist, but nonetheless conveyed something needs to be done. I'd question whether the conclusions have universal applicability and, therefore,  there must be "local solutions" which can be applied where there are obvious high concentrations of animals. I'm also bound to say the temptation to "open up" by some motorists travelling along the long straight roads through many parts of the Thetford Forest might contribute to that particular local problem. Speed bumps could address the problem, may be they do already,but that of habitat destruction would remain un-addressed. I can identify with the problem of deer on roads though, as I've written about it several times on this Blog.  Certainly the Roe Deer population has grown enormously within my lifetime and I'm still encountering animals in new places as I travel around  on the English mainland.

So, we shall now have to see how the problem is addressed and who is involved. I thought the Forestry Commission already carried out seasonal culling activities so possibly they could offer  supervised commercial shooting opportunities as well.