Grouse moors across Scotland will be required to hold licences and could face shooting bans as part of radical measures to combat bird of prey persecution passed by MSPs on Thursday. The Scottish parliament voted for the controls amid intense pressure from conservation scientists and campaigners after decades of illegal attacks on birds of prey […]
Tag: Hen Harrier
![Thousands of wild animals 'slaughtered' every year to protect shooting for sport on grouse moors Thousands of wild animals ‘slaughtered’ every year to protect shooting for sport on grouse moors](https://montefeltro.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/grouse-hunting-in-Glen-cova-scotland-1.jpg)
Thousands of wild animals ‘slaughtered’ every year to protect shooting for sport on grouse moors
An Oxford-led academic study has claimed a staggering 260,000 animals are killed in Scotland every year to protect the grouse population for shooting on country estates. They said the practice of using traps to cull predators on Scottish moors causes “tremendous, unjustifiable suffering” to creatures and must be fully banned. Animals targeted include foxes, weasels, […]
![Maridalen Mandarin Maridalen Mandarin](https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/wp-content/uploads/20211128-110808.jpg)
Maridalen Mandarin
Yesterday, Rune and I “did” Nordre Øyeren and Aurskog-Høland. Birding was good although it was a great disappointment that the flodd waters at Kjelle have so rapidly declined and with no rain forecast for at least the next week they will disappear very soon. It was dry everywhere and Lapwings were concentrated around the last […]
![Eilat day 4 - race day Eilat day 4 – race day](https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/wp-content/uploads/20211128-110655.jpg)
Eilat day 4 – race day
What an amazing day it was, made even more mentally challenging with the sad news coming from across the pond of the departure of our dear friend and comrade BT3. I received the news while standing at a watchpoint overlooking the Arava Valley and Eilat Mts., watching a River of Birds pouring through the sky. […]
![Great visit to Wallasea Island Great visit to Wallasea Island](https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/wp-content/uploads/20211128-110641.jpg)
Great visit to Wallasea Island
Sometimes a days birding can deliver very little and then sometimes days like today come along where it all seems to go right. A Barn Owl as we pulled into the track to the reserve followed by two Short-eared Owls hunting at first light then a male Merlin flashes across us and sits out on […]
![Best ever DAY ONE count Best ever DAY ONE count](https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/wp-content/uploads/20211128-104704.jpg)
Best ever DAY ONE count
With the better weather forecast for Norfolk that was our destination for the day one count. Starting with Barn Owl and ending wit a lovely Grey Male Hen Harrier we had a cracking day. Shore Lark at Holkham, Twite at Thornham, Snow Buntings at Salthouse and Cattle Egret at Stiffkey were the four main targets […]
![More Harrier action at Wallasea More Harrier action at Wallasea](https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/wp-content/uploads/20211128-103403.jpg)
More Harrier action at Wallasea
Another trip to Wallasea Island at first light this morning. A Male Merlin zipped along the reeds and a female was seen sitting on a fence post too before two Ring-tail Hen Harriers and a Marsh Harrier came out to play. Several Kestrel and a few more flying passes from the Merlins kept me entertained […]
![Harriers and Shorties! Harriers and Shorties!](https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/wp-content/uploads/20211128-103410.jpg)
Harriers and Shorties!
My day started in gloomy weather at Wallasea this morning where four Marsh Harriers and a single Ring-tail Hen Harrier entertained me. With the Shorties staying down I headed off in search of a bit more light and found some in Cambridgeshire and the Short-eared Owls came out to play at this venue too. A […]