Though details will appear in our publications page, the current issue of BTO's Bird Study is a bumper one for raptor enthusiasts. It contains two papers on Golden Eagles, the long awaited outcome of the 2003 National Survey on the status of the Golden Eagle in Britain, and Phil Whitfield and others paper on Factors constraining the distribution of Golden Eagles in Scotland. The issue also includes Innes Sim's paper on the Status of the Hen Harrier in the UK and Isle of Man in 2004. The short papers include reports on feeding behaviour of Marsh Harriers and the juvenile dispersal of Bonelli's Eagle.

Sea Eagle chicks have touched down at RAF Kinloss with the launch of the next phase of the reintroduction programme for Britain's largest and most spectacular bird of prey. The East Scotland project is a partnership between RSPB, SNH and Forestry Commission Scotland and is the third phase of of the reintroduction programme which began on Rum in 1975.Aged between 4 and 8 weeks the chicks have been collected from nests in Norway and will be delivered to purpose built aviaries at a secret location on Forest Commission land until they can be released in two months time. For more information see www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp

At this time of the year many readers of this site will be out in the countryside and the purpose of this news item is to draw attention to the work of Borreliosis & Associated Diseases Awareness UK - BADA UK, who are a registered charity. BADA produce a number of leaflets and guidance about the problems of Tick-borne diseases and also have an excellent website http://www.bada-uk.org/

We carried a news item on 30th May with the story of the project which is now celebrating its first nest success and a growing chick which will fledge soon. Over the years this has been achieved with young birds from Scotland removed under licence from sites with twins where the likelihood was that one of the birds might perish. This programme is still in place and Lorcan O'Toole is currently in Scotland working with Scottish Raptor Group members trying to locate young birds to sustain the reintroduction programme. Birds which fit the criteria of the scheme are increasingly difficult to locate so please contact Lorcan if you can provide assistance - e.mail [email protected]. See the link to the project on this site.

The number of birds of prey poisoned illegally in Scotland rose to a record high in 2006. Full details will be published later this week by the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency - see http://www.sasa.gov.uk/pesticide_wildlife/wiis/reports.cfm. For a full report see Rob Edwards article in the Herald - http://www.robedwards.com/2007/06/sharp_rise_in_b.html. The Herald article contains a quote from Logan Steele of SRSGs suggesting the laying out of poisoned baits " was abhorrent in this day and age" and suggesting this was a major public health issues and it was only a matter of time before there was a human fatality. The new Environment Minister Michael Russell, and other officials, have argued that the increase was due to the very positive actions of police and countryside agencies in tracking down and dealing with the perpetrators. However this is slightly misleading as there has been previous claims by the police and Wildlife Crime Officers that the incidence of poisoning was substantially reduced. Members of SRSGs have always maintained that extensive persecution and poisoning was endemic in parts of Scotland and these results tend to support this position. We take the view that these increased statistics are just the tip of the iceberg. The image is an archive shot of a poisoned Golden Eagle in Perthshire.

Mark Hancock, a Research Biologist with RSPB Scotland at Inverness is developing a DNA based test to distinguish black grouse droppings from that of red grouse and capercaillie, and perhaps also to determine sex from dung, The DNA work is being developed by Forest Research. To assist this research Mark is looking for any carcases or other fresh 'bits' of Black Grouse, found as prey remains etc. Remains should ideally be fresh and kept frozen - contact Mark at

The Scottish Sea Eagle reintroduction is overseen by a Project Team which has initiated a new study to collect as many DNA samples as possible from adults and their offspring in western Scotland. The project is being co-ordinated by Natural Research in collaboration with RSPB and SRSG fieldworkers. Moulted feathers from adults are being collected from known roost sites, and mouthswabs are being collected from nestlings as the primary sources of DNA. For more information see http://www.natural-research.org/news/WTSE_DNAnews.htm

A further reminder that the above Conference will be hosted overseas for the first time when it comes to the Atholl Palace Hotel in Pitlochry, Scotland between 29th September and 4th October 2009. The event will be hosted by Scottish Raptor Study Groups with a full programme of scientific presentations, workshops and seminars. For further information and to register interest log in to http://www.rrfconferencescotland2009.org/

It was widely predicted that 56 year old George Aitken, a gamekeeper on Blythe Estate near Lauder would make history by becoming the first individual to be jailed under increased powers in the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Aitken pled guilty to a total of eight offences at Selkirk Sheriff Court including using live pigeons in cages as bait and also lacing the carcases of pheasants as bait. The Sheriff said to was unable to impose a custodial sentence because Aitken was a first offender (in other words it was the first time he had been caught!) and he was not in the best of health. Aitken will apparently keep his job and was ordered to carry out 220 hours of community service. As he arrived and left court Aitken donned a 'terrorist' style black ski mask apparently to hide his identity - presumably he will require to remove it to carry out his community service? See BBC Scotland, The Herald and Scotsman for a range of articles.