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| Water of Saughs in Spate, Glen Lethnot - pastel sketch on paper |
Glen Lethnot is in North Angus and only a few miles away from where I live, it is a long, narrow glen with a sparse distribution of trees and the hills roll quickly down to its river, the West Water. At first light I journeyed into the glen just as the threat of rain scattered itself over the heather moors, it was only to mature into a constant sleety, shower as I clambered over the closed gate at the very end of the public road and then it began to pour as the track climbs towards the zig-zags on West Craig. In between the wind blown drips from my hood, I thought about the police notice near the gate appealing for witnesses to the poisoning of an immature Golden Eagle in the area and it warned walkers not to touch any suspicious looking baits that might be poisoned.
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Displaced Mountain or Blue Hare
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On the subject of commonly used baits, Mountain Hare are nearly all sporting their winter garb of white fur and generally at this time of year are to be found very high up on the moors near lying snow patches or protective peat hags that they can scrape into in order to hide. One was dead meat at my feet and totally displaced from its regular comfort habitat, in more ways than one of course. The fur was matted and puddled into swirling craters of grey-blue that gives it the alternative name of Blue Hare. Its belly was lying open with a gash that missed some of its innards but nothing seemed to be discoloured with the characteristic violet-blue granules of the Carbofuran poison that killed the eagle and I resign this find to being oddly out of place but not extremely unusual, as large raptors can carry a hare for miles, as can a fox. The carcass would have been at least a couple of weeks old, so I am surprised that the 'investigations' have overlooked this potential 'bait' so close to the track on the haughs of the glen.
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| Sketching today |
The bad weather had brought many birds to ground, including an immature Golden Eagle that reluctantly jumped into the wind as I appeared on the ridge, and it continued to swallow up blasts from the wind by cutting its wings into points and diving through the wet gale to lead me onwards. I met with this bird again and again as I followed the track, it seems to wait for me to catch up and then it would show again, as if it wanted to reveal some sort of secret hidden deep within the confines of the snow capped glen. I named it 'Ghost of Fearnan' because the poisoned bird had been named 'Fearnan' when it was ringed and satellite tagged in 2011.
The lack of pertinent information about this bird, such as whether it had died immediately after ingestion of the poison, whether it had a full crop (which I think it did), whether it had flown into the area from elsewhere and what dose of poison was left in the bird's system are all unreleased pieces of necessary information to determine the factual possibilities and without this no satisfactory answers will be forthcoming and yet another raptor persecution case will be consigned to the ongoing enquiry bucket. As far as I can make out from the tracking map, this bird flew to its final position from a point three miles away to the north-west and this would tally up with the strong, cold wind that brought the first snow to the area and blew in the same direction during the period of the bird's final demise, and this strong wind possibly carried an already sick bird to its final position.
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| 'Ghost of Fearnan' - Golden Eagle sub adult |
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| Golden Eagle sub adult with its 'moth spots' |
My intention for the day was to scout out the possible area where this eagle was found dead. The tracking map, which shows the travels of the satellite tagged bird, is pretty vague and the police will not divulge the exact location, in case, 'people like me' disturb vital evidence, which leads me to the question of why ask for witnesses to come forward when no-one knows what area the bird was actually in. I suppose the estate has requested that the minimum of information is divulged so that hundreds of 'people like me' don't descend on the ground to nosey around. The end result is that any input or help from 'people like me', who are out on the hills of Angus in all weathers, at different times of the year and have observed the movements of eagles on these hills, is marginalised. Anyway, I sally forth into a developing wet blizzard until the Shielin o' Saughs is reached five miles further on and I dive inside to drip and shake ice from my sodden, 'water-proof' anorak..
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| Shielin of Saughs, |
The ugly, new track through the remote upper glen ends near this renovated stone bothy with its heather turfed roof and is about the width of a normal car road but laid with soft clay-sand. Every tyre imprint remains on the surface and it is obvious that the track has been very busy with traffic and I can make out the prints left by the police Land Rover that journeyed here two days ago for further investigations of the area, its tyres being the narrow, old fashioned type with knurled edges whereas the estate vehicles have the modern, interlock pattern. Beyond the bothy, the path along the burn has seen one of the estate tracked vehicles go up the hillside but trying to follow that was impossible in the fresh snow.
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| Upper Glen Lethnot, |
My deduced area of where the bird's carcass was recovered on the third of December is further on from the bothy and within the glen slopes near a gully burn where deer-grass grows. Not much to go on and even less when the fresh covering of snow had obliterated all the landmarks that I had seen on the RSPB photo of the bird lying on the slopes, but there again you cannot rely on their photos because sometimes they or the publicist mischievously reverse the image to mislead 'people like me' from finding locations. I muddle on over squelching slush, gushing bog and eventually find a spot to cross the Saughs burn which was in a fierce spate. The hill was not pleasant as the south-westerly gale threw handfuls of icy grit into my face and one snow covered patch of deer-grass looked the same as the next, and eventually it all fuzzed into the cold mist that played host to driving snow. My ardour was melting in time with the frozen creep of wooden numbness through my hands and I retreat down to the stream and cross onto the north side to complete a fruitless and desultory circumnavigation of the area. Dare to say that nothing was found, if anything was to be found in the first place, except lots of Red Grouse that bobbed up from the snow encrusted heather tussocks and flew with the icy wind calling out with their characteristic alarm of 'ke-bek'. The 'Ghost of Fearnan' had led me here but has had the sense to double back down the glen instead of duelling with the icy gale on the tops. Lesson learnt and I follow on in the hope of seeing my golden angel yet again.
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| Somewhere out there.... |
Well, true to form, the ghost appeared and vanished again as the heavy, avian trooper of the glen soared into view and toyed with the gale that tossed clouds into a race against time on this the shortest day of the year. This adult White-tailed Eagle cruised above keeping a watchful eye on my progress into the gloaming hour and I felt a roosting impatience from her and her angelic white tail. A couple of velvet black Ravens 'prukked' at me and with crossed sword, scything wings set against the wind they headed for their roost in the corrie across the glen. Earlier a female Snow Bunting had been feeding at the track-side and flitted along at my approach showing little fear, a truly wild bird from the high Cairngorm mountains.
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| White-tailed Eagle adult |
And, as I started the day, I finish the day with the 'kee-ow' from the resident buzzards amongst the conifers next to the game-keeper's cottage at Waterhead. The glen today, in foul weather, had shown me five Common Buzzards, one Red Kite, one White-tailed Eagle, one Golden Eagle and two Ravens. In summer I saw one adult and one juvenile Peregrine Falcon here in the upper glen, in fact that was the surprise of the year for me. Although I am shocked at the poisoning of this eagle and have little hope for justice in these cases, on the balance of what I have observed here in recent years and today, I find it difficult to believe that this glen's main estate has an active policy of poisoning raptors. Adult Golden and White-tailed Eagles, that I have seen recently, use this glen and its surrounding moorland for foraging and roosting, so I find it hard to figure out why young satellite tagged eagles have been found poisoned on these North Angus estates yet none of the resident adult eagles have succumbed to the same poisoning source. Recent findings from Europe suggest that young eagles are more likely to feed on carcass bait when the weather is cold or snowy, funnily enough these conditions apply to the time when Fearnan died.
My attitude to satellite tagging is mixed, on one hand I fear that the harness and hardware interferes with the feather aerodynamics, their ability to hunt effectively in poor weather conditions and ability to feather preen leading to inadequate insulation and water-proofing. All of these factors leave the bird in a poorer condition that might increase its reliance on carrion foraging rather than the live prey kills that adult birds seem to prefer. On the other hand it does reveal illegal persecution and provides information about their travels around Scotland, but at what cost to the natural freedom and longevity of the birds that are released, encumbered with enforced technology, without any certainty for their long term welfare and with the possibility that the harness might cause the death of the bird. The method used in other countries is to glue the transmitter to external feathers on the back only, so that it is ensured to fall off during a plumage moult. In short, the harness stitching used with Fearnan is meant to deteriorate and release the satellite transmitter after three years but has that been proven to work perfectly; I think not, and indeed, know that it does not.
On that point, I challenge the organisations that satellite tag these eagles to produce evidence, from the previous cases of persecuted young eagles that have been fitted with transmitter harnesses, that there is no damage to the bird's physical being or condition caused by the transmitter or harness. The Red Kite re-introduction scheme in England satellite tagged many of these birds and certainly it was found that some recovered birds had severe skin lesions where the transmitter and harness made contact; I would imagine that these lesions would be as painful as having a bed-sore.
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| Poisoned Golden Eagle notice |
I do hope that the police appeal for both witnesses and information works, but I know for a fact that very few folk venture into this part of Angus in November, if any, but I suppose 'due process' is being carried out. I certainly will not be informing the police about any possible bait carcasses that I found today because a doubt exists that anything would be done about it and experience tells me that when 'people like me' inform, provide or suggest information to the police during a persecution investigation it may be noted but not necessarily pursued.
Again on that point, just how effective have the police and RSPB been in communicating with local shooting estates, their game-keepers and tenant farmers over persecution incidents in this area and the re-introduction of White-tailed Eagles to the east coast of Scotland. The outline for the RSPB project forecasts that the birds might colonise lowland fresh-water marsh, salt marsh and coastal estuaries but does not envisage the seepage of some birds into moorland estates or sheep farming glens. The general attitude to White-tails from upland sheep farmers in Scotland is very poor verging on non-tolerant because of the bird's history of taking lambs. I get the feeling that the 'stand-off' between the RSPB and estate game-keepers is worrisome and unproductive, while the fact that this organisation re-introduced these large raptors without really consulting with or attempting to change the adopted attitudes in game-keepers or sheep farmers is unhelpful. Local people in the glens form a close knit community and are reluctant to speak out about certain things involving others which in turn does not help police in their enquiries. Game-keepers will not clype on each other's activities which I suppose creates a closed door for police information sources.
Again on that point, just how effective have the police and RSPB been in communicating with local shooting estates, their game-keepers and tenant farmers over persecution incidents in this area and the re-introduction of White-tailed Eagles to the east coast of Scotland. The outline for the RSPB project forecasts that the birds might colonise lowland fresh-water marsh, salt marsh and coastal estuaries but does not envisage the seepage of some birds into moorland estates or sheep farming glens. The general attitude to White-tails from upland sheep farmers in Scotland is very poor verging on non-tolerant because of the bird's history of taking lambs. I get the feeling that the 'stand-off' between the RSPB and estate game-keepers is worrisome and unproductive, while the fact that this organisation re-introduced these large raptors without really consulting with or attempting to change the adopted attitudes in game-keepers or sheep farmers is unhelpful. Local people in the glens form a close knit community and are reluctant to speak out about certain things involving others which in turn does not help police in their enquiries. Game-keepers will not clype on each other's activities which I suppose creates a closed door for police information sources.
I can hear whisperings of having a chip on my shoulder by mentioning 'people like me' several times, well it is not what it seems but the reality when you are an informed individual outwith the 'clique of acceptability' and by that I mean that you are not a renowned expert or participant in a large organisation or specialist society where dogmatic attitudes or obscure agendas are the norm which prevent them from touching the scary void of reality. This young Golden Eagle born into a free and natural world, only to be saddled with technology, plummeted into that void and I doubt if it will be the last. I do wonder if 'Fearnan' would have survived without that burden of enforced duty to research and persecution prevention that, ironically, does not seem to be fulfilling its preventative intention. All of the 'game industry' factions will decry this event and promote good intentions to rid their profession of rogue game-keepers but until the pressure from the shooting land-owners and syndicates relaxes to allow a balance between all moorland creatures and changing habitats, instead of the fanatical pursuit of grouse number assets, nothing will change.
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| Fearnan (photo RSPB Investigations) |
My conclusion about this poisoning incident ties in with a couple of local factors. One being the presence of the re-introduced White-tailed Eagles in the area and the destruction of their nesting tree last year (strangely in the same month by the way) only three miles away and the other is the fact that I have seen other raptors regularly on this estate and its environs in recent years that, to the best of my knowledge, have come to no harm. In my opinion the person (note I say person and not game-keeper) who laid the poisoned bait was not attempting to kill Golden Eagles but was targeting the 'unwelcome' White-tailed Eagles, yet again.
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| The appeal for witnesses |
Finally an old Scots saying, "Ye' can lead a horse tae water but ye' cannae mak' it drink". I will leave you to work out the relevance of this to my Sherlockian hunches.
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| Blue Hare - definitely the correct name |
Notes;
All sketches and photos are done on the day and are artist copyright unless accredited to another source.
Please be aware that it is illegal to disturb nesting eagles or other raptors and you may do so inadvertently in your journeys into the highlands. I do not recommend searching for any of the species mentioned in this blog because this may cause undue disturbance to them. With my knowledge of the areas described in this blog I can locate and observe protected species at a respectful distance usually from about 1000 metres for short periods of time only.
Map of the area
The Impact of White-tailed Eagles on Sheep Farming on Mull
Winterwatch, a programme broadcast on 23 January 2014 by the BBC showed a film of roosting adult Golden Eagles on Mar Lodge estate. The cameramen placed a deer carcass near the roost tree where the pair were frequently to be seen expecting them to feed on the carrion. Could have told them, but both birds refused to co-operate and flew off without even investigating it - quite right too!
Carbofuran - a banned lethal insecticide, its possession is illegal in Scotland but not in England. Furadan trade name is dark violet-blue but naturally white in colour. One grain will kill a chicken sized bird and secondary poisoning is common where a target species such as a fox or rodent is then scavenged by a second predator species such as a raptor. One quarter of a teaspoonful will kill a human and microscopic exposure to this substance when applying it to bait can cause male infertility - justice at last maybe!
clype - Scots for betray or tell on someone.
haughs - flat flood plain near a river.
Shieling of Saughs - shielin is a hill pasture with a shepherd's bothy and a saugh is a Willow tree.
Wind direction S-W strong-gale, snow above 600m > mist/cold.
Two reports from the Dundee Courier Newspaper;
Farmers distressed by savage sea eagle attack on newborn lamb
Rhona Duncan with the lamb that was attacked by a sea eagle.
The unseasonable snowfall was enough to make conditions more difficult than they should have been for Kenny and Rhona Duncan, but they faced an unexpected challenge when they reached their lambing field at Cockerstone, Little Glenshee, near Bankfoot, on Tuesday.
They found a sea eagle eating a newborn but badly savaged lamb.
Mrs Duncan said: "I couldn't believe my eyes. I had just read the story in Monday's Courier about the problems the crofters were having with sea eagles taking lambs on Skye and had said to my husband that they had my sympathy."
"When we arrived in the field the sheep were all spooked but particularly the cross Suffolk ewe whose lamb it was. The lamb was obviously newly-born and had been licked by the ewe.
"The eagle was busy eating it on the ground so I charged it on the quad bike to chase it away. It stood about three feet high on the ground but as I got closer it flew off, dropping the lamb.
"Its wing span was enormous and I was so close I could have reached up and hit it with my stick."
She added: "The chest area of the lamb had been crushed and one leg ripped off by that time.
"Even crows don't make that sort of mess."
Reintroduction move opposed
Mrs Duncan said: "I am very against the way sea eagles have been introduced to the east side of the country without any thought about the consequences.
"What if it had attacked a child or a small dog ?"
The couple moved the rest of their sheep indoors for protection.
She added: " I am completely in favour of conserving the bird species that we have but for goodness' sake, why are we bringing back ones that haven't been here for a century or more."
The sea eagle project is run by the RSPB and SNH. They said they would respond once they had been able to examine the exact circumstances of Tuesday's incident.
Ron Macdonald, SNH's head of policy and advice, said: "Our staff would like to find out the all the facts and see what measures can be taken to minimise further losses for Mrs Duncan."
Scottish Agricultural College report says lamb was unlikely to have been killed by sea eagle
A post mortem carried out on a dead lamb found at a Perthshire farm has cast doubts on it being killed by a sea eagle.
It had been thought that a sea eagle had killed the newborn lamb. Rhona Duncan found the bird devouring the carcass in the lambing field she runs with her husband, Kenny, at Cockerstone, Little Glenshee, near Bankfoot, on April 3.
Mrs Duncan had said one of the lamb's legs had been ripped off, and expressed her concerns at the sea eagle possibly attacking a child or small dog.
She had said she was in favour of conserving the bird species but questioned reintroducing sea eagles.
The RSPB Scotland runs a joint project with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) called the East of Scotland Sea Eagles and has released at least 16 of the young birds into the wild.
The birds have been blamed for attacking sheep and one sea eagle also attacked Perthshire clergyman the Very Rev Hunter Farquharson, of Abernethy, in August last year.
One of the birds, which can grow to have a nine foot wingspan, jumped on Mr Farquharson's back, leaving cuts to his head and hands and a four-inch wound which required stitches at Perth Royal Infirmary.
It also killed one of his prize-winning Toulouse geese.
Bruce Anderson, RSPB Tayside and Fife area manager, said the post-mortem on the lamb was carried out by the Scottish Agricultural College's veterinary services on their behalf.
He said it shows the claim that the lamb died as a result of a ''savage attack'' to be highly unlikely.
He said it was more likely it had died from hypothermia and subsequent opportunistic predation.
''Whilst we of course sympathise with Mrs Duncan, and appreciate that the loss of any of her livestock is distressing, we feel that some of the assumptions made should be looked at in light of the evidence from the post mortem of the lamb that died,'' he said.
''The final diagnosis of the lab report states: 'Although predation was extensive there was no evidence that the lamb had died due to traumatic injuries such as might have been inflicted by a large predatory bird.
'''Given the climatic conditions on April 3, (heavy snow), death due to hypothermia and subsequent opportunistic predation seem the most likely explanation in this case.'"
Mr Anderson added: ''This conclusion is entirely consistent with the results of two extensive recent scientific studies conducted by SNH, one carried out on Mull and another in Wester Ross, which showed the impacts of sea eagles on lambs to be minimal, with the birds largely scavenging stillborn, or non-viable, lambs after death.
''The sudden bad weather also caused considerable lamb mortality in places as far afield as northern England, where no eagles occur.''
He stressed that RSPB Scotland needs to liaise with associated people to help all species of birds.
''Scotland's sea eagles and waders, and its rich biodiversity in general, are major assets to the landscape, economy and well-being of the country,'' he added.
''Where conflicts exist, as they inevitably will, they need to be resolved by reasoned discussion based on the evidence as far as they are known.
''RSPB Scotland is certain that we need to strengthen our collaborative working with land managers and farmers for the benefit of all species, so that we have a rich natural legacy to hand over to our children.''