As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Thursday 21 February 2013

Reward after Sproatley buzzards shot dead


The police and RSPB have urged anyone with information to come forward
Two birds of prey have been shot dead and thrown into a ditch near an East Yorkshire village.

The RSPB is offering a £1,000 reward to help catch the person who shot the buzzards on the outskirts of Sproatley earlier this week.

Tests have revealed the birds were wounded with a shot gun.

Buzzards are protected by law and anyone found guilty of shooting one faces a maximum penalty of six months in prison or a £5,000 fine.

Sgt David Jenkins, Humberside Police's wildlife officer, said the birds appeared to have been shot several times at close range.

'Cold and calculating'
He told BBC Look North, buzzards were often targeted because of concerns they could attack pheasants.

"It's a very archaic point of view. Buzzards, if anybody really does their research, tend to eat more dead animals. It's a very lazy bird," he said.

"They've been persecuted for years and years."

Howard Jones, from the RSPB's investigations team, said he hoped the £1,000 reward would help them catch the birds' killer.

He said: "I think that this person has done this in a very cold and calculating way and is probably now thinking that they've got away with it.

"We think that the £1,000 reward will provide the encouragement for someone to come forward to the police or the RSPB in confidence and share their information and hopefully progress this investigation."


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