Tayside Police is appealing for information after a red kite was found shot and badly injured on the outskirts of Braco in Perthshire last week. A dog walker discovered the bird on Wednesday morning (Dec 2) after he saw it flapping in a burn and managed to rescue it. Subsequent x-rays revealed that the red kite had a broken wing and five shotgun pellets lodged in its body.
Alan Stewart, Tayside Police Wildlife Crime Officer, said: ‘‘A red kite is very distinctive with its large slim body and forked tail and is almost impossible to confuse with other birds such as a crow, pheasant or pigeon. These iconic birds are just beginning to get a foothold in Perthshire as a result of a number of re-introduction projects and I appeal to anyone who has information that could assist police enquiries to get in touch with us.’’ The severely injured Kite was taken to the Inglis Veterinary Centre in Dunfermline, where its broken wing was repaired and the pellets were removed from its body. Michael McDonnell, the Argaty Red Kite Officer, who looked after the bird before it was taken to the vets, said: ‘‘This is an absolute disgrace. A red kite’s appearance is so unique that it couldn't be mistaken for anything else, so it must have been a deliberate act. ‘‘This bird was originally from the area, but was sent to Aberdeen as a chick as part of the re-introduction programme for the area. It is fair to say that this is not the ideal homecoming for the youngster - he is very lucky to be alive.’’ Bob Elliot. Head of Investigations for RSPB Scotland said: ‘‘Landowners and conservationists have collaborated in recent years with much hard work that has helped to re-establish these wonderful birds in our countryside, so this latest shameful wildlife crime is highly regrettable. I would appeal to anyone with any information to get in touch with Tayside Police straight away.’’ SRSGs totally support this appeal but are aware of other incidents involving the persecution of Red Kites in the Braco area. Image of the injured bird by Mike McDonnell.

Organisations sign a statement of commitment to become members of the Partnership for Action on Wildlife Crime (PAW) and it is perhaps inevitable that questions may have been raised about some organisations, and whether they are committed to the principles implicit in membership. In fairness to both the UK and Scottish Governments, there have been no restrictions on what organisations joined PAW and their membership commitment has been accepted at face value. It is inevitable with such wide interests, that there will be opposing views, and certainly in Scotland the approach has been to bash heads and get everyone round the table in a “jaw,jaw not war, war” approach. Such approaches are never easy and require quite a lot of give and take and a fair amount of sensitivity and mutual trust. Tayside Police has been involved in wildlife crime preventive initiatives with schoolchildren in the area for nearly 15 years. Alan Stewart has been to the forefront of much of this work and has been recognised with the award of an MBE for his outstanding efforts. Some of the schools work has centred around an educational DVD which was produced some five years ago. Alan has now been taken to task by the SGA over the content of the DVD, apparently sparked off by the winning poster in a schools wildlife crime competion. (see image) . In an article in Scottish Gamekeeper 5, titled “Police wildlife ‘scary movie’ outlawed – SGA campaign consigns dodgy DVD to recycle bin” - the article describes the DVD as poor quality and peddled prejudices and hearsay. In a letter of complaint Alex Hogg suggested that the thousands of children who used the DVD would be negatively influenced about keepers and shooting in general. In an article in the Daily Mail on 1st December, Alex Hogg is quoted as saying “The DVD was just not true – you cant just pin everything on gamekeepers.” We would certainly not disagree with this (see the pye chart on our news item of 22.12.2007). Full details of the SGA news items are available on our members pages or on request to anyone else. Anyone viewing this website can make a judgement on the sensitivity of the poster. SRSGs are not in a position to comment on the suitability of the DVD. However, we understand that no representation was made to Alan Stewart about the content of the DVD before three letters of complaint were sent to both the force and other executive members of PAW Scotland. Headlines about ‘scary movies’ and Gamekeepers winning battles do not exactly reflect the sensitivity and mutual trust aspired to within any partnership structure. Alex Hogg is a member of the PAW Scotland Training and Awareness Group which Alan Stewart chairs - was there not another way of dealing with this? Ironically, and long before the current PAW structure, it was Tayside Police who pushed for an inclusive approach and involvement of the SGA to try and resolve these issues, against the judgement of many others – something about biting the hand that feeds you? The ‘offensive’ poster can also be seen on the ‘Highland Tiger’ website at http://www.highlandtiger.com/latest_news.asp?Page=2.

Over 350,000 hectares of northern and western Scotland have been identified for their potential as Special Protection Areas for the golden eagle under the EC Birds Directive. Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham announced the proposals today which will be consulted on by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) in the New Year. She said: "The golden eagle is the UK's second largest bird of prey and is a species which is synonymous with many of Scotland's wildest and most beautiful places. "Scotland is an internationally important stronghold for this species. But their future is finely balanced due to their need for large, undisturbed spaces in which to live and they remain highly vulnerable to change. "While we have a duty to protect our biodiversity for future generations, this should not automatically mean that leisure and economic activity cannot take place in our countryside. "Scotland's wildlife attracts tourists from both home and abroad, eager to enjoy the scenery and catch a glimpse of species such as the eagle. We must find a balance between access, conservation and development to ensure that all sectors can benefit from and enjoy the countryside." Susan Davies, Scottish Natural Heritage's north areas director, said: "We welcome this move by the Scottish Government to look at the possibility of more protected areas for Scotland's golden eagles. "As a top predator it is very much a barometer of the health of our natural environment. This bird is also a cultural icon and is often what people at home and abroad think of when they think of our country and our wildlife. "The Scottish Government has asked SNH to carry out a full and open consultation on its behalf. We will shortly be sending out a copy of the consultation pack to land managers and other interested parties. The proposed Special Protection Areas are: Glen Affric (in the Central Highlands) to Strathconon (in Ross-shire), the Cairngorms Massif, Foinaven (at Durness), Moidart & Ardgour (near Fort William), Glen Etive (near Bridge of Orchy) to Glen Fyne (near Arrochar), and Jura, Scarba and the Garvellachs (off the west coast) SNH will begin their three month consultation in January. Supporting information is already available on their website at http://www.snh.org.uk/strategy/GE_consult01.asp For more on this story see http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-236060