Tooth and Claw

Golden eagles found dead in Scotland

Wildlife detectives are investigating the suspected poisoning of three golden eagles found in early May on the 3,000 hectare Skibo estate in the Scottish Highlands.

Lamb predation and white-tailed eagles

RSPB comment on Scottish Natural Heritage's commissioned report on lamb survival in the Gairloich area of Scotland in the presence of breeding white-tailed eagles following claims by local crofters that the eagles were predating a large percentage of lambs each spring.

And the biggest news so far...

...by a long way! In a partnership with the Royal Zoological Society for Scotland and several Scottish universities, we are looking at the feasibility of building a permanent world-class predator education and research centre at the Highland Wildlife Park...more news as projects develops.

Chris Packham Tooth & Claw book review

"You know that old one that goes "If you buy one book this year..." Well, if you have any interest in wildlife and its conservation, this is that must. I couldn't put it down and I had to ring everyone up and talk about it."

Diary: Talk, 28/03/2010

Talk, 28/03/2010, National Gamekeepers Association AGM

Forum latest: - Curlews

I suppose man IS the apex predator and in this country has proved intolerent of competition for resources from bear and wolf.

Waders have suffered our dominion in another way. we have transformed the landscape, drained the wet lands, felled the forests, altered everything to our own benifit till the space available for other species is very limited and substancially degraded even if to our eyes it still looks " a green and pleasant land", It no longer delivers the range and quality of habitat of former times. Biodiversity is lost , localised and fragmented. Changes we introduce to agricultural practices move too quickly for species to adapt. The move from hay making , which had been virtually unchanged from the earliest agricultural practices until mechanisation, switched to silage making in an instant . A whole range of species are still reeling from the impact of this. Add to this what would otherwise be a normal level of predation and we see a decline. In a managed landscape we cannot pick favourites "to ring fence " , a grouse is no less of value than a peregrine, a hare than an eagle. In fact the opposite is more correct because without preserving the habitat , there,s no prey and without prey no predators.

Forum latest: - Curlews

Can anyone explain how before man wanted to come round and control preditors how did all these waders survive predation then?

Forum latest: - Big cats?

Re my last post on the Swamp Cat in Hampshire Museums' collections.

It's currently on display til 3 July in Eastleigh Museum - see new thread "exhibition on animals for families" for details.

Forum latest: - Exhibition on animals for families

Following on from my post on the thread about Big Cats...

Hampshire Museums Service's Swamp Cat is currently on display at Eastleigh Museum, where the exhibition in their special exhibitions gallery is "Creatures Great & Small".

The exhibition is very much for children/families with lots to do: a badger's "underground" sett to explore, a woodland floor safari with lots of real specimens (beetles, skulls etc) to look at as though you're uncovering them in the ground, animal sounds to match to photos, dressing up, story books, masks to make, ideas to take home etc etc.

There are several specimens from their Natural Science collections on display - swans, badger, weasel, stoats, shrews, squirrels, fox, hedgehog and of course the Hayling Island Swamp Cat.

It's on until 3 July. The Museum's on the High Street in Eastleigh and open Tue - Sat. Free to go in. Small cafe and gift shop.

www.hants.gov.uk/eastleigh-museum

Forum latest: - ��OWL 9P�� Private Plate for Sale!

Anyone interested? I am open to offers, check around and see how much this plate is on other sites, willing to take around the �2200 mark. Cheers