Angus Glens Moorland Group wins Complete Bollocks Award

Congratulations to the Angus Glens Moorland Group, winners of this year’s Complete Bollocks Award.

The group won the Conservation & Environment category, which highlights ‘the ultimate benchmark of excellence in rural Scotland’.

We tried to look on the awards website for details of this group’s achievements in this category but the website is listed as ‘UNSAFE’. Oh the irony.

Here’s some history about conservation activities in the Angus Glens. Of course, we don’t know who is responsible for any of these crimes because there hasn’t been a single successful prosecution for any of them!

2004 May, near Edzell: long-eared owl and two short-eared owls starved to death in crow cage trap.  No prosecution.

2004 May, Invermark Estate: peregrine nest destroyed. No prosecution.

2006 March, Glenogil Estate: poisoned rabbit bait (Carbofuran). No prosecution.

2006 April, Easter Ogil: poisoned buzzard (Alphachloralose). No prosecution.

2006 April, Easter Ogil: poisoned tawny owl (Alphachloralose). No prosecution.

2006 May, Glenogil Estate: poisoned rabbit bait (Carbofuran). No prosecution.

2006 June, Glenogil Estate: poisoned woodpigeon bait (Carbofuran). No prosecution.

2006 June, Glenogil Estate: Traces of Carbofuran found in estate vehicles & on equipment during police search. No prosecution. Estate owner had £107k withdrawn from his farm subsidy payments. This was being appealed, but it is not known how this was resolved.

2006 July, Millden Estate; poisoned sheepdog (Lindane). No prosecution.

2007 November, Glenogil Estate: Disappearance of radio-tagged white-tailed eagle ‘Bird N’ coincides with tip off to police that bird allegedly been shot. No further transmissions or sightings of the bird.

2008 May, ‘Nr Noranside’: poisoned white-tailed eagle ‘White G’ (Carbofuran, Isophenfos, Bendiocarb). No prosecution.

2008 May, ‘Nr Noranside’: poisoned buzzard (Bendiocarb). No prosecution.

2008 May, ‘Nr Noranside’: poisoned mountain hare bait (Carbofuran, Isophenfos, Bendiocarb). No prosecution.

2008 May, Glenogil Estate: 32 x poisoned meat baits on fenceposts (Carbofuran, Isophenfos, Bendiocarb). No prosecution.

2008 October, ‘Glenogil Estate: poisoned meat bait on fencepost (Carbofuran). No prosecution.

2009 March, Glenogil Estate: poisoned buzzard (Carbofuran). No prosecution.

2009 March, Glenogil Estate: poisoned buzzard (Carbofuran). No prosecution.

2009 April, Millden Estate: poisoned buzzard (Alphachloralose). No prosecution.

2009 July, Millden Estate: poisoned golden eagle ‘Alma’ (Carbofuran). No prosecution.

2009 August, Glenogil Estate: poisoned white-tailed eagle “89” (Carbofuran). No prosecution.

2010 May, ‘Nr Noranside’: poisoned red kite (Carbofuran). No prosecution.

2010 September, Glenogil Estate: poisoned buzzard (Chloralose). No prosecution.

2010 October, Glenogil Estate: poisoned buzzard (Carbofuran). No prosecution.

2010 October, Glenogil Estate: poisoned pigeon bait (Carbofuran). No prosecution.

2010 October, Glenogil Estate: poisoned pigeon bait (Carbofuran). No prosecution.

2011 February, Airlie Estate: buzzard caught in illegal crow trap. (see below)

2011 March, Airlie Estate: 3 x buzzard caught in illegal crow trap. Prosecution (!) but dropped after statement from suspect given to SSPCA deemed inadmissible.

2011 April, Millden Estate: shot buzzard. No prosecution.

2012 April, ‘Nr Noranside’: Remains of buzzard found beside pheasant pen. Suspicious death.

2011 June, Rottal & Tarabuckle Estate: dead kestrel inside crow cage trap. No prosecution.

2012 February, ‘Nr Edzell’: spring-trapped buzzard. No prosecution.

2012 February, ‘Nr Bridgend’: remains of buzzard found under a rock. Suspicious death.

2012 May, Millden Estate: satellite-tagged golden eagle seemingly caught in spring trap, then apparently uplifted overnight and dumped on Deeside with two broken legs & left to die. No prosecution.

2012 May, Glen Esk: disappearance of sat-tagged red kite. No further transmissions or sightings of bird.

2013 January, Invermark Estate: white-tailed eagle nest tree felled. No prosecution.

2013 June, Glen Ogil: shot buzzard. No prosecution.

2013 July, Glen Moy: illegal hawk trap. No prosecution.

2013 September, nr Edzell: unset spring trap next to bait. No prosecution.

2013 November, Glen Lethnot: poisoned golden eagle ‘Fearnan’. No prosecution.

2014 August & September, Glenogil Estate: alleged snaring offences. Prosecution dropped.

2014 October, Nathro: shot buzzard. No prosecution.

2015 July, Brewland Estate: illegal pole trap. Prosecution dropped.

2017 October, Angus Glens grouse moor: alleged suspicious incident (details not public), ongoing investigation

2018 March, Angus Glens grouse moor: alleged suspicious incident (details not public), ongoing investigation

In addition to the above incidents, there hasn’t been a single successful hen harrier breeding attempt in the Angus Glens since 2006, and the area is also one of the areas identified as a hotspot for satellite-tagged golden eagles that have ‘disappeared’ in suspicious circumstances. In addition to the eagles that have ‘disappeared’ here, and the ones that have been found illegally poisoned or illegally trapped, a further golden eagle tag was found on a grouse moor here, “whose housing had been stabbed by a sharp implement and whose harness had been cut cleanly by a sharp instrument”, according to the golden eagle satellite tag review.

Map showing the last known positions of satellite-tagged golden eagles that either ‘disappeared’ in suspicious circumstances or were found illegally poisoned/trapped, 2004-2016 [data from Golden Eagle Satellite Tag Review]

MSP Liam Kerr (Conservative, NE Scotland) is very proud of the group’s Conservation & Environment Award; so proud, he’s submitted a motion to the Scottish Parliament seeking congratulations and recognition for the group:

So far, 13 April Fool MSPs have signed it. Strangely, they’re all conservatives:

Michelle Ballantyne MSP, Margaret Mitchell MSP, Miles Briggs MSP, Tom Mason MSP, Maurice Corry MSP, Jeremy Balfour MSP, Jamie Greene MSP, Peter Chapman MSP, Liz Smith MSP, Murdo Fraser MSP, Bill Bowman MSP, Alexander Burnett MSP, Gordon Lindhurst MSP.