On 12 July this year, a fell runner was out on a large driven grouse moor in Northumberland when he came across this trap containing a crushed merlin. These traps are commonly referred to as a rail or bridge trap. They typically consists of a log or pole across a small burn on which a spring trap is set and covered with a mesh cage. These traps are routinely used to kill rats, stoats and weasels. However, the images he took and sent to us (along with a precise ten figure grid reference – very helpful, thank you!) painted an unpleasantly graphic picture of the problems that rail traps can bring.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Spring traps and grouse moors – a bridge too far? – Investigations – Our work – The RSPB Community