Chris V. Wernham,^* Brian Etheridge,^** Mark Holling,^*** Gordon Riddle,^**** Helen T. Riley,^***** Patrick K. Stirling-Aird,^****** David Stroud,^******* Des B. A. Thompson,^******** Jeremy D. Wilson<sup>*********


*</sup>Chris Wernham is Senior Research Ecologist and Head of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) in Scotland. With a background in population ecology, Chris was formally Senior Population Biologist for ringing-based research at BTO and lead editor of The Migration Atlas: Movements of the Birds of Britain and Ireland before taking the role of Head of BTO in 2002. Her current remit involves developing the BTO's monitoring of Scottish birds and related research, both in terms of the design and support of scientific programs and the continued recruitment and training of volunteer surveyors. She is BTO's principal representative on the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme and the Research Group of Scotland's Moorland Forum. Her address: School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Cottrell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK. chris.wernham@bto.org
^**Brian Etheridge has studied breeding birds of prey in the Highlands for more than 30 years and has visited the nests of all raptor and owl species currently breeding in Scotland. His long-term studies in the past involved Eurasian Sparrowhawks and Common Buzzards, with European Honey-buzzards, Red Kites, and Hen Harriers his current passion. Brian is currently employed by the British Trust for Ornithology in Scotland under contract from the Scottish Raptor Study Groups as Raptor Monitoring Officer for the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme and by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds as Red Kite Project Officer. His address: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Etive House, Beechwood Park, Inverness, IV2 3BW, UK. brian.etheridge@rspb.org
^***Mark Holling has been Secretary of the UK Rare Breeding Birds Panel since May 2006. He was President of the Scottish Ornithologists' Club from 2003 to 2005 and is a member of the Atlas Working Group for the British Trust for Ornithology/BirdWatch Ireland/Scottish Ornithologists' Club Bird Atlas (2007–2011). He is a coauthor of The Breeding Birds of South-east Scotland, published in 1998, and is now both a member of the organizing team for the repeat bird atlas of this area and Regional Organiser for the national Bird Atlas (2007–2011) in Lothian. Mark has been a member of the Lothian and Borders Raptor Study Group since 1995, specializing in the recolonization of the Borders by Common Buzzards. His address: Rare Breeding Birds Panel, The Old Orchard, Grange Road, North Berwick, East Lothian, EH39 4QT, UK. secretary@rbbp.org.uk
^****Gordon Riddle was one of the founding members of the South Strathclyde Raptor Study Group in 1983 and has been Chairman of the group since 1994. His work on a long-term study of the Common Kestrel in South Ayrshire since 1972 has led to the production of two books (The Kestrel and Seasons with the Kestrel), various papers, and contributions to numerous publications on this species. Since retiring from the National Trust for Scotland after 33 years at Culzean Castle and Country Park, the majority of the time as Country Park Manager, he has been carrying out raptor fieldwork contracts. He is the Scottish Ornithologists' Club representative on the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme. His address: Scottish Ornithologists' Club, Scottish Birdwatching Resource Centre, Waterston House, Aberlady, East Lothian, EH32 0PY, UK. mail@the-sco.org.uk
^*****Helen Riley has been involved in a wide range of national and international bird conservation issues while working with the Nature Conservancy Council, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Scottish Natural Heritage, and the Secretariat for the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels. She has experience of field surveys on a range of bird species and has been closely involved with the development of the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme and programs of research on upland raptors in Scotland. She now works as an ecological consultant. Her address: Greenwings, 15, 2F2 Royal Park Terrace, Edinburgh, EH8 8JB, UK. helenriley@aol.com
^******Patrick Stirling-Aird is a solicitor in private practice, dealing to a large extent with land use and management issues. He has been involved with monitoring of raptors (principally Golden Eagles and Peregrines) throughout the last 30 years and, from 1983, via the mechanism of the Scottish Raptor Study Groups. He is Chairman of the Central Scotland Group, a member of the Tayside Group, and Secretary of the Scottish Raptor Study Groups as a whole, representing them on Scotland's Moorland Forum. He has been a member of the British Trust for Ornithology Research and Surveys Committee, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scottish Committee and Scottish Advisory Committee, the Scottish Wildlife Trust Council, and the UK Government's Raptor Working Group. He is a nonexecutive director of Natural Research and Natural Research (Projects) Ltd. His address: Scottish Raptor Study Groups (SRSGs), Old Kippenross, Dunblane, Perthshire, FK15 0LQ, UK. PKStirlingaird@aol.com
^*******David Stroud is Chief Ornithologist with the UK's Joint Nature Conservation Committee, responsible for providing ornithological advice to government, the statutory conservation agencies, and others on both UK and international scales. He provided the Secretariat to the UK Raptor Working Group, established by ministers to consider conflicts between raptors and various other interests. He has coordinated two reviews of the UK network of Special Protection Areas classified under the EU Birds Directive. He has been a Member of the UK Rare Breeding Birds Panel since 1991. He is a member of the Ramsar Convention's Scientific and Technical Review Panel and has also actively contributed to the Ornis Committee of the EU Birds' Directive (and its Scientific Working Group) and AEWA's Technical Committee. His address: Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Monkstone House, City Road, Peterborough, PE1 1JY, UK. David.Stroud@jncc.gov.uk
^********Des Thompson is Chair of the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme and Policy and Advice Manager with special responsibility for the Research and Development Programme in Scottish Natural Heritage. He has published 12 books, including the large team efforts Raptors: A Field Guide to Survey and Monitoring (2006), Birds of Prey in a Changing Environment (2003), Alpine Biodiversity in Europe (2003), and The Nature of the Cairngorms: Diversity in a Changing environment (2006). As Chair of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee Uplands Lead Coordination Network, he has had particular responsibility for developing guidance on conservation, management, and monitoring of the UK uplands under the EC Birds and Habitats Directives. His address: Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), 2 Anderson Place, Edinburgh, EH6 5NP, UK. des.thompson@snh.gov.uk
^*********Jeremy Wilson has been Head of Research for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in Scotland since 2001 and has a background in the conservation biology of birds in agricultural systems. He is responsible for developing and steering RSPB's monitoring and research program in support of the conservation of bird populations in Scotland and is RSPB's principal representative on the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme and the Research Group of Scotland's Moorland Forum. His address: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Scotland, Dunedin House, 25 Ravelston Terrace, Edinburgh, EH4 3TP, UK. jeremy.wilson@rspb.org.uk