RSPB finds killing spree is continuing in the Borders

The 20 year review, which was published this week, confirmed that 779 protected raptors were illegally killed across Scotland between 1994 and 2014.

And many of them were poisoned, shot and trapped in rural parts of the Borders.

RSPB Scotland’s specialist investigations team has been documenting the illegal killings of the past two decades to highlight the scale of the problem.

Peeblesshire hit the national headlines eight years when the region’s only breeding female Golden Eagle was found dead on a local estate.

The 10-year-old bird which had nested in the region for the previous five years, had been poisoned.

Further back in 2004, a total of 25 protected birds - 22 Buzzards, a Tawny Owl, a Goshawk and a Heron - were found dead on an estate in the Manor Valley.

And a month earlier at Raeshaw Estate, near Heriot, five Barn Owls, two Buzzards, a Kestrel and a Tawny Owl had also been killed.

In 2011, a gunman climbed up to a Goshawk nest in woods near Innerleithen to blast to death two chicks.

And the illegal killings have continued across the Scottish Borders despite authorities stepping up their efforts to snare the culprits.

Amongst the catalogue of killing during 2013 was a Buzzard shot at St Mary’s Loch, another gunned down near Heriot, and a further Buzzard also found poisoned near Heriot.

During 2014, four Buzzards were shot near Heriot in the May and during investigations two sets of illegal traps were discovered with live pigeons.

Last March another illegal trap was found at Broughton.

In the September of 2014 a Peregrine Falcon was shot near Kelso and a Buzzard blasted from the top of a telegraph pole by a farmer near West Linton.

Director of RSPB Scotland, Stuart Housden, told the Border Telegraph: “We welcome measures taken by the Scottish Government over the past 20 years to improve the laws protecting our birds of prey, and the recent improvements by Police Scotland and the Crown Office in tackling wildlife crime.

“However, our data shows that illegal killing of raptors continues to be a widespread problem in significant parts of upland Scotland.

“These crimes impact the natural wealth of Scotland and undermine our international reputation, wildlife tourism and diversified rural businesses.”

Across Scotland 468 birds of prey were poisoned between 1994 and 2014, 173 were shot and 76 were caught in illegal traps - these include 104 Red Kites, 37 Golden Eagles, 30 Hen Harriers, 16 Goshawks and 10 White-tailed Eagles.

RSPB Scotland’s review shows that a significant majority of cases take place in areas associated with game-bird shooting, and in particular within upland areas managed intensively for driven grouse shooting.

It is also noted, however, that in recent years there have been some significant and welcome reductions in the number of cases reported from lowland areas of Scotland.

Mr Housden added: “We recognise that many landowners and their staff have helped with positive conservation efforts for birds of prey, particularly with reintroduction programmes for white–tailed eagles and red kites, and that the majority operate legitimate shooting businesses.

“But there are still far too many who do not act responsibly, and there will be no improvement in the conservation status of raptors until all land management is carried out wholly within the law.”

RSP Scotland hope this week’s report will force the Scottish Government into considering a licensing scheme for shooting estates.

Responding to this week’s report, the British Association for Shooting & Conservation believe the RSPB has failed to highlight the progress which has already been made.

Dr Colin Shedden, BASC’s director in Scotland, told us “It is disappointing that the RSPB has chosen to omit the good news that raptor persecution is in long term decline.

“The partnership working that we have in Scotland is delivering welcome reductions in a range of wildlife crimes, including poaching, hare coursing and raptor persecution.”