| OUR WORK IN SCOTLAND


Chaffinches top the poll A


The chaffinch was recorded as Scotland’s most seen farmland bird.


s reported on page 18, the GWCT’s Big Farmland Bird Count encourages farmers, gamekeepers and land managers to spend half an hour on one day in February identifying and counting the birds on an area of their farm.


This year the chaffinch was recorded as Scotland’s most seen farmland bird (up from fifth last year), pushing the blackbird down to second place.


In terms of the most abundant species counted in Scotland, woodpigeon, barnacle goose, pink footed goose and rook were recorded in the largest numbers. Starling, a Red List species, made up the top five most abundant.


Dr Dave Parish, our senior scientist, said: “It’s really exciting to see so many people once again taking part in the count, with many who took part from the outset submitting results every year, and demonstrating that farmers and gamekeepers have a long-term commitment to conservation management.


“These results continue to provide very useful data. Much of our work including our Whitburgh and Balgonie Projects, and at our demonstration farm at Auchnerran on Deeside, focuses on encouraging, maintaining and enhancing healthy populations of farmland birds, whether these are game species, waders or songbirds, and providing advice to farmers, land managers and to Government regarding suitable measures to achieve this, based on science. The Big Farmland Bird Count is a great way of measuring the health of those farmland bird populations and giving us another important opportunity to engage with those managing the land.”


The GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count is sponsored by BASF and delivered in partnership with the FWAG Association and LEAF, with support from the NFU and CLA.


he report to Scottish Government by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) on the use of snares in Scotland was published in March. This meets the requirement for the regulation of snaring to be reviewed every five years. The main thrust of the report is that current legislation is working and that no fundamental changes are needed. However, SNH does recommend some changes with regard to fox snares and to the Code of Practice. These proposals are as follows:


Hardware


Require each snare to have at least two swivels – this follows the findings of research by Defra and the GWCT to further minimise risk of a snare breaking should a single swivel become clogged with vegetation with resulting welfare issues. Require the stop position, which determines the minimum noose size, to be 26 centimetres from the running eye – this follows research by the GWCT to identify the optimal stop distance whereby hares are more likely to escape while not affecting the retention of foxes.


32 | GAMEWISE • SUMMER 2017


Keeping up-to-date with snaring T


These hardware changes would bring Scottish snaring practice in line with the recently published Codes of Practice in England and Wales (2016).


Other proposals in the report include: Training


Standardising attendance methods and ‘pass’ criteria. Code of Practice


Clarifying authority and responsibility where another person is required to provide ‘sick cover’ for the original operator. Record-keeping


Implementing a maximum period for updating snare records – SNH is proposing within 48 hours.


Reducing the time allowed to produce snare records for inspection. This currently allows 21 days, but the proposal is to reduce this to ‘immediately’ when requested by police on location, or otherwise to be produced at a police station within seven days.


Penalties on conviction of an offence Introduction of the power of disqualification for a snaring offence,


Overall, the report found that snaring- related incidents had reduced and therefore further changes were not required. Any changes to come from the review will be delivered through the Snaring Code of Practice. Next steps are likely to include consultation with the Snaring Technical Assessment Group (TAG) and possibly wider public consultation.


Changes to fox snares, such as the introduction of a double swivel and change to stop position, will require amendments to the Wildlife and Countryside Act which could take time.


We do have concerns over the sanctions being proposed and these will need careful discussion and consultation. It would certainly be wrong if very minor mistakes, as opposed to blatant abuses of the Code, could result in disqualification. We will need to wait and see the detail, but will ensure that members are kept informed.


www.gwct.org.uk/scotland


Scottish top 20


1. Chaffi nch (+4) 2. Blackbird (-1) 3. Robin (=) 4. Woodpigeon (-2) 5. Pheasant (-2) 6. Blue tit (-2) 7. Buzzard (-1) 8. Jackdaw (+2) 9. Carrion crow (=) 10. Rook (+5)


11. Wren (+2) 12. Great tit (-3) 13. House sparrow (-11) 14. Coal tit (=) 15. Dunnock (-3) 16. Tree sparrow (+1) 17. Starling (+1) 18. Yellowhammer (=) 19. Common gull (+3) 20. Goldfi nch (+20)


although it is not clear how this would operate, how long disqualification would last, or whether there would be a system of appeal.


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