RSPB has launched a new web page exclusively devoted to birds of prey and their particular problems, especially that related to persecution. Most will be aware of the problems in the Peak District in 2006 and a pdf Peak Malpractice Update is available to download. Visitors to the site can pledge to help stop the killing. The pages can be viewed at www.rspb.org.uk/birdsofprey

This summer Barn Owls across Ayrshire are being fitted with electronic tags to allow surveyors to check activity and to find out which Owl is using a particular nest box, without the need to catch them. The work is an ongoing project to monitor Ayrshire's Barn Owl population carried out by North Solway Ringing Group and funded by Scottish Natural Heritage. For further details see http://www.snh.org.uk/press/detail.asp?id=1761

Red Kites have not nested in the north-east of Scotland since they were persecuted to extinction in the 19th century. RSPB Scotland have announced a three year project supported by SNH and Aberdeen Countryside Project, to release 30 birds per year on the outskirts of Aberdeen as the latest stage in efforts to reintroduce the bird around the country. The birds will be wingtagged and fitted with radio transmitters to check their progress. The photograph shows a wing-tagged bird at Argaty in Central Scotland. For further details please log in to http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?=tcm:9-162202

The ECA has now established a website and we have provided a link - it describes itself as a community of eagle experts from around the globe who work to save the world's eagles. The site includes details of activities, projects, events and membership. The image taken from their homepage shows a Verraux's Eagle. See our links page or visit http://eagleconservationalliance.org/

The RSPB have reported that bird of prey persecution has taken a new twist with the discovery of a dead squirrel laced with strong adhesive, set as bait to lure and trap Goshawks. Following a 'tip off' RSPB investigators made the discovery in March when the sticky squirrel was placed below an active Goshawk nest in the Upper Derwent valley, Derbeyshire. Squirrels are a frequent prey for Goshawks and there is little doubt that the it was this magnificent bird of prey which was the intended target. The bait was also placed on a pile of teased-out twine which it is believed would have entangled the bird's talons. For further information see http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1063

Bjorn Helander's paper on 'The White-tailed Eagle in Sweden - past, present and future', was the inaugural Derek Ratcliffe Memorial Lecture at the 2006 SRSGs Conference. It has now been reproduced in Scottish Birds 27, the journal of the Scottish Ornithologists' Club. The SOC, in partnership with SRSGs and SNH is to honour Derek's work by publishing summaries of the memorial lectures. The issue also contains a paper by Steve Petty on Goshawks in Argyll. See also the Publications page. In addition the journal contains short notes on Hen Harrier bowing behaviour and cocks' nests (RC Dickson); Hen Harriers driving Goshawk away from a roost (Chris Rollie); and, Eurasian Sparrowhawk attacking Red Squirrels (RC Dickson).

Mike Gregory and Sandy Gordon are two founder members of the Argyll Raptor Study Group who have studied Golden Eagles in south Argyll and Kintyre for 35 years. That amount of experience needs to be listened to. Mike's article in Scottish Bird News No.84 which has just been published provides a different perspective from other published data on the impact on Golden Eagles of windfarm development at Beinn an Tuirc and Beinn Ghlas. Based on findings from these sites, Mike suggests that wind farms and Golden Eagles do not go well to-gether and extreme caution should be exercised when considering any further proposals for wind power development in eagle country. It is inevitable that the windfarm debate will divide opinion. It is important however, that data gathered by respected field specialists of long experience, is set alongside the findings of consultancies, who it should be remembered, are employed by developers. This should contribute to a wider debate which has been sadly lacking in the political and financial rush to embrace renewable energy. Mike's article is an extremely important contribution in this debate especially at a time when Golden Eagle productivity in the west of Scotland appears to be entering a trough.

P.S. It is coincidental that another long term Eagle enthusiast Adam Watson has written the lead article in the same issue of SBNews on Global Warming and Scottish land birds. This is a critical and stimulating piece which condems desk top analysis, the use of models as opposed to fieldwork, and uncritical spin. In that regard the two articles have close links.

Scottish & Southern Electricity have an application in for a 57 turbine windfarm at a site on uplands at Pairc, Lewis. The 205MW site will have turbines at 145m (475') probably the highest in the country. The site has 9 breeding pairs of Merlin, 3 pairs of Golden Eagles, two pairs of White-tailed Eagles along with a wide range of other species. The envoronmental statement predicts a high collision risk for Golden Eagles as well as mortality for a number of other species including both species of Divers. Further details can be seen on the yahoo discussion group on raptor conservation and on the following website - http://www.mwtlewis.org.uk. If you wish to object to this development this should be lodged with before July 12th.

We have discovered that there has been a technical glitch with e.mail for the last few weeks. If you have been trying to contact us through the web site please accept our apologies and try again.

To-day's Scotsman carries the news that three Red Kites reared on his Balnagowan Estate of Mohamed al-Fayed have been poisoned. One has been found dead near Tomintoul and the others in Strathspey and Badenoch. All were poisoned with the insecticide carbofuran which was banned in 2001. The birds had been released from Balnagowan as part of a programme to try and extend their breeding range in the Highlands. The fact that RSPB estimate that 40% of young kites from the Highlands are poisoned is unfortunately a sad reflection on Sporting landowners and their gamekeepers. Quote of the week comes from Alex Hogg of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) - 'when the perpetrators of this crime are brought to justice, the SGA will be the first organisation to condemn them, bearing in mind people out there with a grudge against sporting estates could be up to all sorts of mischief ' - who do you think your kidding Mr Hogg? We are accustomed to this kind of clumsy SGA 'spin'. However, the idea that members of the public or others would range the Highlands killing birds to give gamekeepers or estates a bad name is little short of fantasy. Those of us who have spent years living and working in the countryside know where the blame lies - and fortunately so do the law enforcement agencies. Only a pity that we don't see more successful prosecutions and robust sentencing policies. See http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1045752007