In a collaborative project involving Atholl Estates, Tayside RSG and Natural Research with funding from Cairngorms National Park, SNH and NR, a digital camera link is being set up on a Golden Eagle nest on Atholl Estate. The live pictures will be beamed back to Blair Castle and to the ranger information centre in the village of Blair Atholl. This will be a terrific opportunity for members of the public to view Golden Eagles up close and hopefully, eventually see adult birds return to the nest to feed young. For full details see http://www.atholl-estates.co.uk/golden-eagle.asp

Both the Press and Journal and the Guardian have carried a news item that a significant raid was carried out on properties in Glenlochy Estate near Grantown on Spey and several other locations in Speyside as part of a major investigation into alleged persecution of birds of prey. The raid was carried out early yesterday morning and involved around 50 police officers from several police forces as well as officers from the National Wildlife Crime Unit, the RSPB, SSPCA and Government agency officials. A number of gamekeepers were detained and a large number of items seized. The image shows Constable Jason Lugton with material collected during the raid. The estate was apparently bought by motor racing tycoon Paddy McNally in 2004 and the grouse shooting is managed by Mark Osborne, a land agent based in Oxfordshire who has featured previously in reports on this site. For further details see http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/549752 and http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/mar/21/scotland.wildlife?gusrc=rss&feed=enviro.

As a follow-up to our news item of 28.2.08 the Minister of the Environment Michael Russell has announced that the trial of trapping Sparrowhawks at Homing Pigeon Lofts has been postponed. Despite the trial being under consideration for some time it is alleged that civil servants belatedly realised that trapping the birds of prey using live pigeons as bait would require a licence from the Home Office in London which would take a week to process. The Minister told the Sunday Herald that this unforseen delay would bring the project too close to the breeding season and it is expected that the trial will now go ahead later in the year. The proximity of the trial to the breeding season has been one of a number of concerns raised by SRSGs. For full details on the Herald article see http://www.robedwards.com/2008/03/disputed-hawk-t.html#more

We previously reported on the Highland Wildlife Foundation's radio tagging Osprey project and Roy Dennis tells us that 'Logie', the adult female which has bred for three years near Forres in Morayshire is on the move north from its wintering grounds in Guinea Bissau. To follow Logie's movements north visit http://www.roydennis.org. The migration north will also feature on a new BBC radio 4 programme "World on the Move" which is broadcast live on a Tuesday - see also www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/worldonthemove/. Roy is also tracking the movements of a young Golden Eagle 'Alma' which fledged on Speyside last year and his website contains some fascinating information regarding this birds ranging movements.

The RSPB has announced that a young bird released as part of the East Scotland Sea Eagle Project (ESSE) has turned up on Mull on the west coast of Scotland. Mull is one of the strongholds for the species following the earlier introductions and the Fife bird is both wing and radio tagged (see image). The bird was in the company of two locally fledged White-tailed Eagles. This bird had already ranged considerably from the release area and had been seen in the Spey valley. Previous analysis has shown that young birds wander considerably throughout the established west coast breeding range but few west coast bred birds have been recorded as far away as the east coast. Young White-tailed Eagles can be extremely gregarious and it will be interesting to see whether white tagged F remains, and is joined by others. For further information see http://rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-185126

We carried a news item on this matter on 5.1.08. News has now reached us that Scottish ministers have 'called in' the application which now effectively takes the decision out of the hands of Argyll & Bute Council. It is expected that a local public enquiry will now take place. Argyll & Bute Council granted consent for the site despite considerable opposition because of Golden Eagle interest - objections included both RSPB, and SNH.

This is the headline in a lead article by Colin Hutchinson in the Herald Magazine. The report looks at the increase in recorded incidents over the last two years and contains interviews with Logan Steele of Tayside RSG and the irrepressible Bert Burnett of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA). Bert runs true to form on the old SGA mantra of a management system to control raptors - peregrine falcons and buzzards must be more forcefully managed -a euphemism for their slaughter. Bert also argues that to alleviate gamekeepers' frustration, species such as golden eagle and red kite must be caught and moved from areas they are deemed to be damaging. Little wonder that Colin Hutchinson concludes his article on the following note - "Perhaps, but until such time, and even with legal protection, Scotland's birds of prey could be surviving on little more than a wing and a prayer." One can only hope that the Minister for the Environment Michael Russell finds time to read the 'informed' views of the SGA.

A pair of poachers involved in the shocking shooting of 52 Red-footed Falcons at Akrotiri, Cyprus, last year. were yesterday fined a derisory 1,250 euro each. The British Sovereign Base Area court could have imposed a maximum penalty of 17,000 euro and three year's imprisonment. Birdlife Cyprus added that the poaching and trapping situation is deteriorating on the island and calls for urgent EU intervention. The two men involved had plea bargained and admitted to shooting just four of the falcons which they allegedly mistook for Turtle Doves. Birdlife Cyprus said it was a disastrous case of failure of a judicial system coming close on the heels of the failure of an enforcement system. For full details see http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/02/redfootedfalcon.html