The Silent Moor

Twilight Hunt; Black Grouse Covey and Golden Eagle - pastel on paper

Let's create a national park ...

The hills and moors of Scotland accept their destiny in silent obedience as the flora and fauna upon them bow to man's vagaries of wisdom and greed. This future outcome forged behind office desks by degree waving pen pushers and greener than thou politicians will see livelihoods once muddied by the land disappear into the anals of history, and all to be replaced by a public nurturing chaos that destroys the very soul of the place that is natural Scotland.

Golden Eagle with heather kow - 3/3/24

Let's plant a forest ...

It seems to be the nature of man to never let things be, to always demand change for the betterment of ecology or, in fashionable parlance, to save the planet. Wild moorland places that cemetery carbon by peat formation are just not good enough, they have to be ripped up for better carbon sequestration by planting zillions of trees that by some twist in their fate makes money for greedy investors or allows a surplus of industrial pollution by dealing offsets. 

Red Kite - 3/3/24

Let's build a wind-farm ...

The gamble that is involved in creating this mythological carbon net-zero future seems to treat the land and seas of Scotland as some sort of earthly barter that have no rights and only exist as a means to an end. The 'means' do cause environmental damage and carbon leakage, and cause the deaths by rotor collision of many birds and bats; so when does net-zero become more important than nature itself... ultimately when the cash register starts ringing it seems. 

Mountain Hare carcass - 3/3/24

Let's preserve a nature reserve ...

While wandering through the hills and glens of Angus I cannot help but think that this whole system of mountain moorland is more important than all the net-zero schemes and nature reserves put together. A bare wilderness devoid of life to some who are blinded by green or anti-shooting agendas, but to others that seek or work these heathery hills there are dark, hidden depths that must be preserved to ensure a treasured future for the eagle, for the plover, for the deer, for the grouse, or indeed for the sheep ... for the 'estate reserve' is here already.

Red Kite and Common Buzzards - 3/3/24

Let's be grateful ...

Today I had the joy of seeing a Golden Eagle carrying a heather kow (branch) in its talons, the kow trailing behind the eagle's tail, and this eagle was shadowing another eagle that had just slipped over the hill brow ... nirvana for me. Seven years ago I had witnessed exactly the same courtship behaviour at this very location on a marginal area near three shooting estate marches. In Angus many abandoned eagle territories are now occupied by breeding pairs and, surprisingly, unexpected ones are being formed so grouse moor estates are beneficial in this respect nowadays.

Red Grouse - 3/3/24

Let's talk persecution ...

Today I saw more raptors than grouse over two grouse moors but, yes, the ins and outs of raptor persecution have been the fulcrum of a see-saw debate over shooting estates in recent times. Many estates and keepers have changed attitudes towards illegal persecution but as the occasional 'bandit' persecution crime is still making headlines there is room for improvement and, also, there is a realisation that policing education or contact from wildlife crime officers with game-keepers is woefully inadequate, if indeed it exists at all.

Red Deer stag carcass - 3/3/24

Let's talk injustice ...

One game-keeper caught killing a Goshawk trapped in a baited crow cage by a hidden camera placed (possible unlawful entrapment) by a bird protection organisation rings alarm bells for me. Surely knowing that a persecution crime might be committed then not eliminating that possibilty to save the bird's life is a crime in itself. Cruel and welfare threatening satellite tagging is now carried out 'in the hope' of revealing persecution events in order to defame shooting estates but completely fails to care about the plumage or life welfare of a bird strapped up with teflon tape to hold a rechargeable lithium transmitter with aerial on its back ... crazy double standards methinks.

Black Grouse covey - 3/3/24

Let's look to the future ...

Grouse moor plenty yields a predator burdon that can be managed ... fact, and if the facilty to control certain predators is in place then surely a balance can be achieved. Take Hen Harrier brood management down in England as an example of a successful scheme, and of a practical tool that benefits all it seems except a well known bird protection organisation. In my area, from what I observe, Red Grouse numbers are fairly low and the usually abundant Mountain Hare are very scarce now for some unknown reason, so predator prey is thin on the heather moors yet there exists a disproportionate number of predators that thrive on the associated game bird releases of Pheasant or Red-legged Partridge that in turn encourage Brown Rats to game bird road-kill and feeders, and on ground nesting birds that benefit from managed ground predator control, and on a surplus of Rabbit .... maybe the very things under noses are the root of a predator attracting problem.

Raven - 3/4/24

Many problems flower from the struggle to exist but maybe the only way forward is for shooting estates to fight their own corner and damn the red tape ever fluttering down from NatureScot or Scottish government.

Yes, do what the farmers of Europe are doing, go out and demonstrate, shout out, be determined against the bullying from on high ..... your lives matter. 

Grouse, Man and Fox - 3/3/24

All text, photographs and sketch done on 03/03/24  (unless dated otherwise) and subject to copyright - no reproduction.

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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 Lapwing, Curlew, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Dotterel, Snipe, Red and Black Grouse, Ptarmigan and many raptors nest on the ground, it is advisable to keep dogs on leads at all times especially 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 inquisitive disturbance to named species.

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