The RSPB report that only one White-tailed Eagles is expected to fledge in the former stronghold of Smola off the north west Norwegian coast. Turbine blades have killed 9 birds in the last 10 months including all 3 chicks which fledged last year. According to Dr Rowena Langston the site is demonstrating the damage which can be caused by a wind farm in the wrong location. According to the RSPB press release the Norwegian Government ignored warnings of the consequences for wildlife of the Smola wind farm proposal before it was built. The deaths certainly indicate the subsceptibility of large raptors to turbine strikes, bearing in mind the short timescale, and that the Smola site at 68-turbines, is relatively small. For a fuller account see http://www.rspb.org.uk/policy/windfarms/eaglestrike.asp

This story was first reported on the BBC and followed up in the Scotsman - http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=889492006. An adult Golden Eagle has been found deliberately poisoned by carbofuran on a Deeside Estate and is under investigation by Grampian Police. Raptor workers have long campaigned against the persecution of birds of prey and there has always been a particular problem on moorland managed for Red Grouse where, in particular, Golden Eagle populations continue to be suppressed. Wildlife poisoning incidents are monitored through the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency and so far in 2006 20 incidents have been confirmed, more than the total recorded in 2005. Raptor enthusiasts are regularly accused of being slightly paranoid about these issues. Given such statistics however, against a background of increased political commitment and partnership working, it is little wonder that we have any confidence in some landowners and gamekeepers to change habits of a lifetime let alone comply with the law. Using the full resources of the law, and applying the penalties now available, might help a little.

This website officially went 'live' to-day without any pre-publicity. Within hours we had our first 'hit' from Ashok Verma, a Research Associate with the Wildlife Institute of India. Ashok is studying roost habitats, roosting behaviour, food ecology and population dynamics of Harriers at Bharatpur, a World Heritage and Ramser site. Ashok congratulates us on a "splendid and informative website" and has passed on a number of his studies relating to Marsh Harriers. Ashok has invited members of SRSGs to India to visit his area - the queue is getting longer by the minute!!!