Hector McNeil the Head 'keeper on North Glenbuchat Estate in Strathdon, Aberdeenshire was fined £350 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for poisoning a Raven and a Common Gull using the pesticide aldicarb. McNeil had pled guilty to the offence discovered earlier this year when countryside rangers found a 'laced' egg and the bird carcases beside public walk. Subsequent investigations by Grampian WCO's discovered a quantity of 118 Common Gull eggs and a quantity of cymag for which McNeil was fined a further £500. The RSPB has publicly criticised the low level of the fines and members of SRSGs are totally in accord with this view. McNeil could have been fined £5000 for each of the birds poisoned so £175 on each count is pretty derisory. Sheriff Sandy Jessop is reported as saying that he appreciated it was difficult to balance the preservation of the estate and the employment it provided with the preservation of rare species of birds - "it must be a difficult line to draw and clearly in this case you crossed the line". Given all the extremely hard work in recent years to introduce appropriate penalties it is extremely disappointing that such an eminent Sheriff (and former Procurator Fiscal), did not take a stronger line and impose sentencies which would be meaningful deterrents to Head Keepers' with 30 years 'experience'!

BTO News No. 265 July-August 2006 carries an interesting piece on the SRMS. Chris Wernham and Liz Humphreysof BTO Scotland look at the achievements of the scheme, how the BTO is contributing and how BTO members can become involved through the work of SRSGs. Details of our new web site are also provided.