Mark Rowbottom

Good to hear that you are now home Martyn. Best wishes for a steady recovery and look forward to your future company in the field. Take care.

Three reforms to stop the criminal killing of birds of prey – new petition to UK Minister from Friends of the Dales A new petition has been launched calling on the UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Mary Creagh MP) to bring in legal reform to help stop the illegal persecution of birds of prey. The petiti…

Three legal reforms to stop the criminal killing of birds of prey - new petition to UK Minister from @friendsofthedales.bsky.social

Details & link to petition in blog 🔽

#RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime 🌍

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/02/19/t...

High Court throws out Moorland Association’s legal challenge against new burning regulations Some good news! This morning, the Moorland Association’s legal challenge against Defra’s new burning regulations (which restrict burning on deep peat) has been thrown out by the High Co…

Good news!

High Court throws out Moorland Association's legal challenge against new burning regulations in England ⚖️🌍

New blog ⬇️

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/01/28/h...

Your second photo also shows the other common pitfall. A lot of Common Buzzards show varying amounts of white in the tail. However a Rough-leg with show a wholly white tail with a broad black tail band. Majority in UK are juveniles. Not always easy at distance 👍

All those three features spot on for the Richard's Pipit Ciaran. Good to know it's still there.

A lovely day on the NYM's with ringtail Hen Harrier, 2 Peregrine's chasing each other and a calling Snow Bunting the highlights @teesbirds.bsky.social @northyorksbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

A Sleddale resident telling me that he won't be shot! Sound up @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Snow Bunting along the Percy Cross road at Sleddale this morning. Always nice to see them up on the moors @nybirdnews.bsky.social

2/2 It occasionally flashed pale outer primaries as it fed at height. Unfortunately without several diagnostic features and a photo its unlikely to be acceptable to the relevant authorities! @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

1/2 A pale brown Swift with largish pale throat patch that zipped past me at close range, at eye level and in good light at Cowbar this am will go down in my book as a Pallid. Unfortunately it flew up high where it remained at distance for the remainder of the time. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Loads of Blackbirds at Hunley this am with smaller numbers of Redwing & Fieldfare. Woodcock, 4 Whoopers, flocks of Pink-feet and what I think is my personal latest YBW @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

A few Crossbills in Kildale Woods this am. A flyover group of 11 and about 20 feeding quietly in Larches with a few Siskins @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Excellent news. Well done to all those who worked behind the scenes to make this happen. Thank you. @raptorpersuk.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social @markruskell.bsky.social

Always sad to see. Dead Harbour Porpoise at Skinningrove this morning.

Another great morning on the local moors with a Peregrine playing tag with one of two Red Kites and a bonus Rough-legged Buzzard. The later eventually headed off northwards so was perhaps a passage bird? Let's hope we get one or two wintering @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Ciaran. Thanks for posting this. It was still bobbing away late afternoon in company with 25 Common Snipe. Always nice to find a new bird yourself. Good stuff 👍

Perhaps a few incoming today as I had one in the bushes at Warsett Hill as well. Always nice to see. Nice picture 👍

Highlights from Hunley & Warsett Hill area up to 14:30 - Twite, Brambling, YBW, Little Owl, lots of Chaffinch and small numbers of Thrushes & Skylarks @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Saw both of these a bit earlier. Absolute beauties and showing really well. Only a single Chiff and Goldcrest in Crane Dale. The one in the top sycamores had moved on.

2 YBW's near Warsett Hill Brotton this morning @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Grouse moors: Scotland’s land crisis in plain sight (by Max Wiszniewski, featured in The Herald) The Herald continues its feature on land reform today, with an article written by Max Wiszniewski, Campaign Manager for REVIVE, the coalition for grouse moor reform: Scotland’s grouse moors are und…

Strong article written by Max Wiszniewski, Campaign Manager for @revivecoalition.bsky.social & published by The Herald as part of its series on Scottish land reform.

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/10/13/g...

Just two warblers seen at Hunley Hall GC this afternoon and both Yellow-browed! A trickle of Bramblings and Redwings plus a flock of Barnacles made for a great time @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @northyorksbirds.bsky.social

A couple of Wheatears still on breeding territories near Commondale today. Also nice to see lots of Whooper Swans at Scaling Dam this morning with quite a few youngsters @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

More information about the suspicious disappearance of Hen Harrier ‘Sita’ who vanished on a grouse moor in Yorkshire Dales National Park In May this year I blogged about a young satellite-tagged Hen Harrier named ‘Sita’ who had disappeared under suspicious circumstances from a winter roost site on an unnamed grouse moor …

New info from RSPB reveals last known location of this young Hen Harrier was on a grouse moor between Reeth & Redmire on NE side of Yorkshire Dales National Park, before she disappeared in suspicious circumstances.

#RaptorResearch #Wildlifecrime #Ornithology

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/10/01/m...

Very little at Hunley as well. A few Goldcrests and some Chiffs was the sum total!

A long slog around Hunley & Warsett Hill, Brotton today with the highlights 2 Redstarts and a very smart Lesser Whitethroat. Nothing with yellow stripes unfortunately! @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @northyorksbirds.bsky.social

A skein of about 90 Pink-feet just gone high south over Great Ayton. Brilliant to hear them chatting to each other and very much a sound of autumn @northyorksbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @teesbirds.bsky.social

If you had reported Red Kites, a pair of Ravens and a White-tailed Eagle around the Cleveland boundary three years ago people might have asked what hallucagenic drug you were using! Well the drugs worked just fine today with all three showing well @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

One of the two immature White-tailed Eagles, that had been mucking about on Teesside today, flew over the Sleddale chevrons late afternoon on route to it's presumed roost area @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @northyorksbirds.bsky.social