Persecution Woes

The Gathering of Light, Cloud and Eagles - pastel sketch on paper

Despite the recent efforts of some shooting estates and moorland groups to eliminate raptor persecution in Scotland there are still some blatant examples of covert criminality going on. A certain faction within shooting estate management please themselves by ignoring the law to kill and maim protected species in order to let game birds flourish, and that is undeniable and inexcusable. To turn a blind eye to all this because I, personally, can see some raptors on my home patch of the Angus glens is, maybe, strangely culpable.

Sketching today

Conclusively there seems to be little point in me acting as some sort of self appointed ambassador for wildlife in the Angus glens when ignorant persecution is still being practised elsewhere. My trust and faith in shooting estates is paper thin but, I suppose, a critical ethos to promote a certain truth about the perceived persecution improvements in local grouse moor estates, that I actually witness, seems worthwhile.

Hissy, bitch Adder

In doing so I have faced ridicule, mockery and criminal defamation from those who support all out war on shooting estates, especially driven grouse moors. Piggy in the middle is not a nice place to be, and at the best of times this blog and my observations are used to counter protests that the Angus glens have no wildlife because of grouse moor management. At other times, this blog is collectively scoffed at by raptor persecution campaigners, and also those who carry out the cruel practice of satellite tagging as some sort of damage limitation to their single minded shortcomings, and, 'they no not what they do' is an appropriate descriptor; when ignorant mockery reinforces unproven science we have a problem.

Golden Plover calling

I pride myself in the fact that every photo and sketch on this blog is done on the actual day that I wander the highlands of Scotland; it is thus a reasonably factual account of the flora and fauna that I find albeit combined with the emotions of landscape. Many folk view this blog from all corners of the globe but is that enough to ensure its justification. Those who campaign against grouse moor estates in Scotland, and England, hate what is presented here because it lays open their bare lies that grouse moors have no or little wildlife except grouse.

White-tailed Eagle

Realistically, and to disappoint those who state that only grouse flourish in the Angus glens, the eagle count alone matched the grouse count today, but that has little significance when the grouse moor haters have already made up their minds, or, more exactly, had their minds made up for them. The shortcomings of all estates are not far from my own mind, but should I continue to give them the benefit of doubt, that is the question. I see areas of rank heather, burnt out, where Merlin used to nest; I see tracks through traditional Hen Harrier sites; I see crags where Peregrine Falcons and Golden Eagles used to nest; I have concerns about the flux in adult Golden Eagle numbers, and my concerns grow, unfortunately.

Golden Plover

A time, maybe, to challenge my acceptance of all those things and become a critical 'moorland monitor' that only sees the bad side and twists that out of all proportion for media effect; I can do that, but, in the first instance, any change must come from the owners, factors and syndicates of these shooting estates. Their complacent, cloud like existence of ignorant non-involvement in some cases or ignoring crime in others must stop in order to eliminate raptor persecution, and, in effect, they are complicit in the continuance of persecution because of the inferred pressure on game-keepers to have a first class shoot with their job security or home in the bargaining balance that sometimes forces a tipping towards illegal duties.

Lapwing

At the moment my mind is mulling over a few changes; a strict licensing scheme for shooting estates because those that have nothing to hide should, theoretically, not be affected and, secondly on my wish list, more planning controls on hill track excavations that will benefit the landscape and its nature, and, thirdly, with the boot on the other foot now, more controls on satellite tagging processes yet with more third party access to its telemetry data.

Curlew

Nowadays, my mind sickens about the thought of turning a blind eye to abuses that scar the highlands of Scotland or destroy its flora and fauna. The fight against persecution must turn one way or the other eventually, and the burying of estate management or owners' heads in the sand will only end up with sky peering backsides being kicked by new government laws initiated by politicians persuaded by anti grouse moor campaigners. So in conclusion, shooting estates around Scotland take heed, play fair, or suffer a lingering death controlled by those you hate.

See link in notes about a trapped Hen Harrier and Ranting Soap-box below.

Meadow Pipit

Red Deer

Raven

Golden Eagle immature female

Wheatear juvenile

White Bell heather

Red Grouse

Ranting Soap-box;

The recent statement* by Leadhills Estate about the aforementioned Hen Harrier male found trapped on their moor seems to imply the estate's innocence and, unless very well cloaked in deceit, it recalls a differing story to that portrayed by Chris Packham in his video** about the incident. The estate declares that a few spring traps for controlling ground vermin were removed or tampered with at the time of the harrier trapping by anti grouse moor campaigners. So what exactly is being implied here? Are they suggesting that campaigners actually took a spring trap and set it near the harrier's nest and then the harrier was trapped due to their actions. Certainly the spring trap on the harrier's leg was not pegged down or attached to a pole which would have been normal practice in the bad old days of raptor persecution. Are we reaching the stage when anti grouse moor campaigners would kill a protected raptor and then incriminate a grouse moor in order to make their point, and are we actually talking about a criminal fringe linked to anti grouse moor campaigns who would stoop to any level in order to further a cause? I cannot imagine anyone doing this but there is a recent history of mysterious crime events taking place, like the 'hound savaged' Red Fox taken to police by fox hunt saboteurs; the fox was vet examined but the result declared that it was not killed by any dog. Also several grouse moors in England have recently been subjected to arson, ..... so what do we believe. Is Leadhills Estate the easy target for anti grouse moor campaigners willing to commit persecution fraud or does the estate's history of alleged raptor persecution form a hangman's noose for them?

Notes;........article in progress............

All text, photographs and sketches done on the 14 July 2019 and subject to copyright - no reproduction.

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**Hen Harrier trapped in South Lanarkshire

*Leadhills Estate statement about the harrier

If you are inspired to go out into the hills and glens of Scotland please leave it as you find it, respect the environment, do not litter or discard so called 'biodegradable' fruit and especially if you are a dog walker keep your beast on a lead and do not bag up its waste then chuck it by the wayside. I recently came across one black poo bag neatly hung on a tree branch for someone else to take home and also a bright blue one thrown in the moorland verge....why?

Moorland birds like Golden Plover, Dunlin, Dotterel, Ptarmigan and many raptors nest on the ground, it is advisable to keep dogs at heel or preferably on leads when walking on the high plateaux of the Cairngorms during summer months.

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. Observe protected species at a respectful distance usually from about 1000 metres and for short periods of time only.

No wildlife was unduly or knowingly disturbed by my presence or for the purposes of this web page other than what would be expected on a normal hill walk. Many geographic names and location recognizable photos have been omitted to prevent persecution or ringing-monitoring disturbance to named species.

Canon camera 200D with optical zoom lens EFS 55-250mm used; please note that the zoom range distance if given is calculated by OS map from subject location to camera