From the BBC:

An osprey raised at a nest site in the Highlands and tracked using satellite tagging technology may have perished in West Africa.

The male bird called Bynack hatched at Loch Garten near Aviemore in May last year and later migrated to Africa.

RSPB Scotland said the osprey had not moved for about 11 days and worry it may have died.

Staff remain hopeful that the lack of movement may be because its tag has slipped off.

In 2009, another young Loch Garten osprey called Nethy was thought to have died after reaching Africa.

The year before, the female's brother Deshar died after making a "navigational error" and missed landfall in the Azores.

Osprey photo by David Whitaker.

Craig Barrie, a 30 year old gamekeeper from Aswanley Estate, Aberdeenshire, has lost his job after failing to appeal his conviction for using a pigeon-baited larsen trap. He had been fined £520 but appealed his sentence in order to keep his job. He claimed he would lose his 'gamekeeper licence' (there's no such thing - presumably he meant general licence) and would not be able to work. Two appeal court judges rejected his appeal yesterday. http://news.stv.tv/scotland/north/295957-gamekeeper-used-live-pigeon-to-lure-other-birds-into-his-sights/

RSPB press release:

A 63 year old man has today (12th January 2012) been convicted of possessing a highly toxic banned pesticide.

At Lanark Sheriff Court this afternoon, Cyril McLachlan was fined £635 after admitting to the possession of Carbofuran, a toxic pesticide banned in 2001.

The gamekeeper, with 40 years experience, was arrested during an operation by Strathclyde Police, the National Wildlife Crime Unit and the Scottish Government in January 2011, when a plastic bottle containing the illegal substance was discovered in his vehicle. McLachlan claimed to have got the chemical “off a friend”.

Police were first alerted to the area in November 2010 when a member of the public reported finding a dead buzzard whilst walking near Loanhead Farm, Lamington in South Lanarkshire.

In response, RSPB Scotland, Scottish SPCA and Scottish Government officials, discovered the carcass lying next to the remains of a pheasant. Following tests by the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) laboratory both tested positive for the pesticide Carbofuran, which has a record of being used as an illegal poison.

Speaking after the sentencing Bob Elliot, Head of Investigations at RSPB Scotland, said: “This is the second court case in the space of a week involving poisoning in South Lanarkshire, which must be very worrying for local residents. Not only do these illegal chemicals kill birds and other wildlife but they have the potential to poison domestic pets and endanger any people that come into contact with them.

“It is depressing that despite this substance being banned for over ten years it turns up with monotonous regularity, used to lace baits indiscriminately which are then laid in the open in our countryside to kill protected wildlife.”

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