It was early spring on ‘eagle island’ and on our marine excursions covering the north shore of Mull we were monitoring our local white-tailed eagle territory to see if nestingattemptswere taking place. After not seeing any clues in their traditional nest site high up in aconiferplantation, we noticed the female bird seemed to be hunkered […]
Tag: Hen Harrier
M&S grouse meat could come from illegal source
Conservationists say grouse meat on sale in Marks and Spencer stores could come from estates where birds of prey are illegally shot in order to maximise the food supply. There are also concerns over the risks to human health from meat shot with lead ammunition. Two M&S stores in London began stocking red grouse on […]
POLL: Should the Slaughter of Grouse be allowed to continue?
Today is the “Glorious Twelth”, a day when according to tradition hunting enthusiasts gather on moors in Scotland and the north of England to shoot Grouse. Proponents will tell you that that this is an important British tradition. They will also argue that it is good for Britain’s economy by attracting tourists, providing jobs for […]
Hen harrier close to extinction in England
The “Glorious 12th” – 12 August, when the annual grouse-shooting season starts – will be marked on Monday with an acrimonious row between conservationists and the body that represents English and Welsh grouse moorland owners. According to the RSPB, the last two breeding pairs of hen harriers in England failed this year to produce eggs […]
Specieswatch: European eagle owl
The European eagle owl Bubo bubo is not a popular bird. It is very large and ferocious, and although it lives and successfully nests in Britain it is officially regarded as an alien and a danger to our own birds of prey because it does not like to share its hunting territory. Foxhunts have further […]
Government approved cull of endangered birds on Duke of Westminster’s Estate
Tens of thousands of endangered birds have been shot, trapped and poisoned on one of England’s largest shooting estates with the approval of the government agency responsible for protecting the species, a Guardian investigation has found. The government has licensed an annual cull of lesser black-backed gulls on the Abbeystead estate on the Bowland Fells […]
Walkers urged to spot hen harriers
Bird watchers and hillwalkers are being asked to keep an eye out for hen harriers in an attempt to conserve their numbers. The birds of prey are struggling to breed in some areas, partly due to persecution and disappearing moorland. In 2010 there were 500 pairs in Scotland, the bulk of the UK population. The […]
The Sky Dancers
It was Easter weekend, an early start after a great night watching the Northern Lights. I was driving through the magnificent Glen More in the south east of Mull, the sun was beaming down and as it reached mid morning the temperatures started to pick up. An immature Golden Eagle appeared above the mountainous skyline […]