A short break in Tomatin up in the highlands of Scotland has given me the chance to see some fabulous sites again whilst picking up a few year ticks and grabbing a few record shots. First I visited a fish farm near Cairn Gorm and managed to see my first Osprey of 2017 without having […]
Tag: red grouse
POLL: Should subsidies to grouse shooting estates be stopped?
England’s vast grouse shooting estates receive millions of pounds in public subsidies according to an investigation by Friends of the Earth. Thirty of the estates received £4m of taxpayer’s money between them in 2014, the year examined by the pressure group, including one owned by the Duke of Westminster, the richest landowner in Britain with […]
POLL: Should “Driven Grouse Shooting” be banned?
Driven grouse shooting is a field sport of the United Kingdom. It is popular because it provides a challenge due to the rapid flight of the grouse. The grouse shooting season extends from 12 August, often called the “Glorious Twelfth”, to 10 December each year. Shooting takes place on grouse moors, areas of moorland in […]
POLL: Should there be a ban on driven grouse shooting?
MPs will debate whether to ban driven grouse shooting after a petition created by a leading conservationist passed the threshold of more than 100,000 signatures. Mark Avery, a campaigner and former head of the RSPB, launched the petition in March with backing from broadcasters Chris Packham and Bill Oddie, and the League Against Cruel Sports, […]
POLL: Should driven grouse-shooting be banned?
The season for red grouse-shooting is about to begin. But its driven form, where beaters flush birds towards the guns, is having a terrible impact on the environment and on other birdlife, to the cost of every nature-lover and taxpayer. Mark Avery, former conservation director of the RSPB, explains why this most unsporting sport should […]
Final day and finally a Caper shows
This morning I returned to Loch Garten for the Caperwatch arriving at 5.30am to find the volunteers already had a Caper in the scope much to my delight having not seen one last year at all but another guy had spend five days on the spin getting up at silly oclock to get his first […]
Isle of Man Study Supports Red Grouse Reintroduction
A study of the Isle of Man has recommended reintroducing red grouse to boost the island’s dwindling population of the bird. The Manx Uplands report, compiled by Professor Jim McAdam, said in the past three years breeding had declined. Research suggests the fall in grouse population was “almost entirely due to predation by harriers and […]
Birders Against Wildlife Crime
Last night Channel 4 News broadcast a short and extremely welcome report on the persecution of raptors on Scottish grouse moors, triggered by the rather unfortunate timing that saw Prince William (below) debate poaching and wildlife crime at a conference in London the day after shooting animals ‘legally’ in Spain. William of course famously enjoys […]