Poisoning/Shooting of Birds of Prey - Please read guidelines in first post

steddyeddy

marlin vs wrote: »

Well I got my reply and they are not interested,as they recon a Kestrel dosent eat carrion so more than likely was not poisoned, so what if a rat or mouse or whatever was tainted with poison and was still alive and it was taken by the bird,makes me wonder why I reported it.:mad:

Thats disgraceful I wonder whos running that place.

EDIT: Well done on reporting it though!

steddyeddy

recedite wrote: »

Only if the tag was a GPS tag, which some of the eagles have, but is that just a plastic ID tag in the photo?

I dont know man to be honest Im not too up on the type of tags used on birds. I would love to know the poison though and wheter it was legal!

recedite

marlin vs wrote: »

what if a rat or mouse or whatever was tainted with poison and was still alive and it was taken by the bird

Probably what happened to the North Dublin Red Kites; the poison slowly building up in their system. Fair play for taking photos and reporting the kestrel.

steddyeddy wrote: »

Im not too up on the type of tags used on birds. I would love to know the poison though and wheter it was legal!

Yeah I think the gps is a little black box with an aerial, in addition to the big plastic visual ID tag.
It was reported in "The Wicklow Times" newspaper that the poison was alphachloralose. I've seen it myself sprinkled inside the carcasses of gutted stillborn lambs, left out on the hillside, in Wicklow, in January and February. But that was 2 years ago before the legislation banning meat based poisons came in. Old habits die hard in some places though. A prosecution would change that.

steddyeddy

Alpha-chlorolose is a nervous system depressent it seems. Likely it could have killed by secondary ingestion. Im nearly certain this is quite tracable.

Birdnuts

steddyeddy wrote: »

. Likely it could have killed by secondary ingestion. .

I have been reliably told that this is not the case with this chemical compared to other products that have been identified as a secondary poisoning risk. Unfortunatly it appears that the alphacholorose was used illegally in this particular case:(

recedite

steddyeddy wrote: »

Alpha-chlorolose is a nervous system depressent it seems.

Yes, the birds often stay close to the poisoned carcass, sometimes flapping around a bit but unable to take off. They seem to die of hypothermia eventually, as much as anything. I've previously seen a fair number of dead crows in the same field as poisoned lamb carcasses.
A Red Kite might take off and fly a short distance, but I would hazard a guess that the poisoned bait was not too far from where the dead bird was found.

steddyeddy

Birdnuts wrote: »

steddyeddy wrote: »

. Likely it could have killed by secondary ingestion. .

I have been reliably told that this is not the case with this chemical compared to other products that have been identified as a secondary poisoning risk. Unfortunatly it appears that the alphacholorose was used illegally in this particular case:(

Birdnuts were are you getting your info from why isnt this being released to the public? Just to apologise If I came across as confrontational there birdnuts I wasnt getting at you Im just very frustrated at this whole thing. I know I dont work with the project or anything but its not a nice thing to see.

whyulittle

http://www.goldeneagle.ie/news_viewnews.php?z=44&news_id=9&article=302

recedite

whyulittle wrote: »

http://www.goldeneagle.ie/news_viewnews.php?z=44&news_id=9&article=302

"Rangers .. conducted a search of the lands and door to door enquiries. No further birds, animals or bait items were discovered"

Well, at least that might have "rattled" the perpetrators.

whyulittle

Spotted this on BWI's Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=338467252859717&set=o.359318831642&type=1&theater

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=338486226191153&set=o.359318831642&type=1&theater

steddyeddy

whyulittle wrote: »

Spotted this on BWI's Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=338467252859717&set=o.359318831642&type=1&theater

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=338486226191153&set=o.359318831642&type=1&theater

Thats shocking stuff.

Traonach

steddyeddy wrote: »

Thats shocking stuff.

x2 If it's like that in a park I wonder what amount of poison is laid around the huge dump at Rogerstown.

LostCovey

marlin vs wrote: »

Well I got my reply and they are not interested,as they recon a Kestrel dosent eat carrion so more than likely was not poisoned, so what if a rat or mouse or whatever was tainted with poison and was still alive and it was taken by the bird,makes me wonder why I reported it.:mad:

Report them - they are not doing their job. Kestrels are very vulnerable to rodenticides.

The NPWS are surveying causes of death in birds of prey, and their rangers are the contact point.

Sickening to think the person who gave you that advice is drawing a salary as a ranger.

Make them earn it.

Report them to NPWS HQ.

LC

OpenYourEyes

marlin vs wrote: »

Well I got my reply and they are not interested,as they recon a Kestrel dosent eat carrion so more than likely was not poisoned, so what if a rat or mouse or whatever was tainted with poison and was still alive and it was taken by the bird,makes me wonder why I reported it.:mad:

I was at a talk today where John Lusby, the Birdwatch Ireland Raptor Conservation Officer (I think) was talking about the info they've gathered re: Barn owls and secondary poisoning from rodenticides. At the end he said how they're now moving on to gathering info about other raptors such as Kestrels, and that anyone with info/carcasses should get in touch with him or their local NPWS officer!

A quick google and jlusby@birdwatchireland.ie seems to be his email address!

marlin vs

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

I was at a talk today where John Lusby, the Birdwatch Ireland Raptor Conservation Officer (I think) was talking about the info they've gathered re: Barn owls and secondary poisoning from rodenticides. At the end he said how they're now moving on to gathering info about other raptors such as Kestrels, and that anyone with info/carcasses should get in touch with him or their local NPWS officer!

A quick google and jlusby@birdwatchireland.ie seems to be his email address!

Thank's, iv'e sent him an e-mail telling him the same as I told the the officer
from the National Parks and Wildlife Service in Kilkenny, we'll wait and see what happens as iv'e still got the bird.

magicbastarder

it's probably nothing significant, but if anyone is driving northbound on the M50 between the dundrum and knocklyon exits, i saw what looked like a dead raptor in the hard shoulder. my bird identification skills are non-existent, however. it's on the stretch beside the mobile phone masts designed to look like trees. i just got a glimpse of it, but was afraid it looked like a red kite tail i saw, but will underline the fact that i probably just thought red kite because it's a high profile bird.

marlin vs

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

I was at a talk today where John Lusby, the Birdwatch Ireland Raptor Conservation Officer (I think) was talking about the info they've gathered re: Barn owls and secondary poisoning from rodenticides. At the end he said how they're now moving on to gathering info about other raptors such as Kestrels, and that anyone with info/carcasses should get in touch with him or their local NPWS officer!

A quick google and jlusby@birdwatchireland.ie seems to be his email address!

Well I received a reply already and he is interested in taking the bird, thanks for the contact name O,Y,Es.

OpenYourEyes

Rather than starting a new thread, I'll ask here:

Does anyone know if anyone has been prosecuted with regards the poisoning of reintroduced Eagles or Kites in Ireland?

I read a newspaper article saying that someone was to be charged I think, but havn't read anything since so I assume no prosecutions have been made

Birdnuts

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Rather than starting a new thread, I'll ask here:

Does anyone know if anyone has been prosecuted with regards the poisoning of reintroduced Eagles or Kites in Ireland?

I read a newspaper article saying that someone was to be charged I think, but havn't read anything since so I assume no prosecutions have been made

These cases take time to prepare(there are a number currently in the pipeline relating to incidents going back to to 2009/10) - I am also aware of a number of succesfull prosecutions of landowners that failed to dispose of livestock carcasses properly on or near sites where such crimes have occured in the last few years.

PS: Obviously for legal reasons one cannot go into the exact details of these cases, nor would it be appropriate on a public forum such as boards.

IrishHomer

Birdnuts wrote: »

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Rather than starting a new thread, I'll ask here:

Does anyone know if anyone has been prosecuted with regards the poisoning of reintroduced Eagles or Kites in Ireland?

I read a newspaper article saying that someone was to be charged I think, but havn't read anything since so I assume no prosecutions have been made

These cases take time to prepare(there are a number currently in the pipeline relating to incidents going back to to 2009/10) - I am also aware of a number of succesfull prosecutions of landowners that failed to dispose of livestock carcasses properly on or near sites where such crimes have occured in the last few years.

PS: Obviously for legal reasons one cannot go into the exact details of these cases, nor would it be appropriate on a public forum such as boards.

How the hell would you know "cases are in the pipeline"?

Mothman

IrishHomer wrote: »

How the hell would you know "cases are in the pipeline"?

Replying as Mod here,
I am quite happy that Birdnuts is kosher and knows details through their line of work.

As BN has mentioned

PS: Obviously for legal reasons one cannot go into the exact details of these cases, nor would it be appropriate on a public forum such as boards.

Any further queries on this matter take it to pm and not on thread

Traonach

There is also concern for two more nesting eagles which have not bee seen since 2011.

The co-ordinator of the Golden Eagle Project in Ireland says he fears a pair of nesting eagles which have disappeared from Co Donegal may have been poisoned.
Lorcan O’Toole revealed the birds had been nesting in the western Bluestack Mountains since 2005 but have not been seen since 2011.
“It is quite possible that they were poisoned because we have had no sightings of them since last year.
“They did not nest there last year and it would be unusual for them not to return to the same place to nest,” he said.

http://raptorpolitics.org.uk/2012/05/18/two-more-white-tailed-eagles-found-poisoned-in-the-irish-republic/

whyulittle

Two more eagles found dead.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0205/366313-eagles-poison/

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2013/0205/breaking28.html

https://www.facebook.com/BirdWatchIreland/posts/140146009480695


There were also a couple of BOP deaths before Christmas, including a reported Hen Harrier shot at a roost in Wexford, though no body was found.

http://ien.ie/2012/buzzard-shot-in-county-meath/

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/poisoning-fear-as-24th-sea-eagle-found-dead-3324953.html

Deedsie

Terrible to hear about the two white tailed eagles in Cork & Kerry today. Heartbreaking actually. Could someone please tell me what are the actual penalties if someone is caught poisoning BOP or shooting them?

I'd like to be able quote accurate information to the next person I argue with about farmers and hunters shooting/poisoning these reintroduced species. I'd love to see someone caught and heavily prosecuted.

sigmund.jung

Needs to be a proper investigation into this, by Gardaí not just Animal groups.

vistafinder

Its unreal how could you do it? Im trying to keep a lid on it here! Must be very frustrating.

magicbastarder

vistafinder wrote: »

Its unreal how could you do it?

it may not have been deliberate, it may have been farmers baiting carrion to target crows. not that i'm trying to excuse it this way.

Mickeroo

magicbastarder wrote: »

it may not have been deliberate, it may have been farmers baiting carrion to target crows. not that i'm trying to excuse it this way.

It's illegal to poison crows as far as I'm aware.

swifts need our help!

What 'crow' are farmers targeting? Hooded? Surely there cant be so many in one place

vistafinder

magicbastarder wrote: »

it may not have been deliberate, it may have been farmers baiting carrion to target crows. not that i'm trying to excuse it this way.

But whats the need to bait any thing I dont get it!Surely they are smart enough to know that anything can eat it. Anyway from my experence with these kind of people you might be talking to a brick wall.