Marsh harriers breed in the county again

Aug 26 2009 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

Kielder's ospreys set for long haul to Africa

THE ospreys which hatched at Kielder in Northumberland are expected to set off on their migration to Africa in the next few weeks.

The male osprey was seen feeding two of the three youngsters at Kielder Water at the weekend.

More than 1,200 people have visited the osprey viewing point at Kielder, which was in operation for seven weekends. They included visitors from as far as Kent and Buckinghamshire who had made the trip specifically to see the ospreys.

"It was a great turnout of visitors and it is fingers crossed that the ospreys return next year," said the RSPB’s Blanaid O’Connell, who co-ordinated the volunteers who manned the viewpoint.

A survey showed that just under half of the visitors to the viewpoint came from outside the North East.

North's shame

THE RSPB will today brand Northumberland as a blackspot for persecution of birds of prey.

The RSPB’s bird crime report of 2008 has nine incidents regarding birds of prey in the county which were reported to the conservation charity, including illegal shootings and the use of poison.

The only counties with a worse record were North Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

Confirmed crimes in the North East include a kestrel shot dead in April in Northumberland, two shot in County Durham in July, and the discovery of four poisoned pheasant eggs left as bait on the edge of a Cleveland grouse moor.

Ian West, RSPB head of investigations, said: "It is absurd that the Government lists the killing of birds of prey as a wildlife crime priority and yet these crimes are not recorded by the Home Office."