Region one of worse for bird poisonings

Jan 14 2009 by Sharon Liptrott, Dumfries Standard Wednesday

DUMFRIES and Galloway has been shamed as a hot spot for birds of prey poisoning in Scotland.

Upper Nithsdale – bordering Clydesdale – the Stewartry and Annandale and Eskdale, have all been flagged as areas where there have been confirmed findings of illegally poisoned raptors by pesticides during the past five years.

In the fight against wildlife crime, the Scottish government and Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW), which includes the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in Scotland, have produced a map pinpointing confirmed key areas where, across Scotland, the illegal practice killed 132 birds of prey between 2004 and 2008.

These included 22 red kites, 95 buzzards, one goshawk, eight Peregrine falcons, four golden eagles, a sea eagle and a tawny owl.

The map is being seen as a significant step forward.

Although it does not reveal how many birds of prey and which species were killed in each hotspot area, it is understood that red kites are still the main target for poisoning in Dumfries and Galloway.

In January last year, tests confirmed that a red kite found on farmland near Laurieston, at Castle Douglas, was poisoned to make it a total of four killed in the Stewartry during the five year period.

Environment Minister Michael Russell said: “It is appalling that as we enter 2009 our birds of prey are still faced with persecution.

“Our wildlife is precious and deserving of our protection.”

Although the map only includes confirmed poisonings from 2004, the region was previously rocked by a three-year poisoning campaign which claimed the lives of 11 red kites, four, possibly five, buzzards and a tawny owl.