Video analysis later found that he was in possession of a semi-automatic shotgun for the sole purpose of killing a hen harrier, North Yorkshire Police said. It passed its information onto North Yorkshire Police and Dingwall was prosecuted. Hen Harriers have special protection over and above that given to other wild birds as they are Schedule 1 birds. “Shockingly, over 100 hen harriers have been confirmed or suspected to have been illegally killed on or near grouse moors in the UK in just the last five years. She was found dead in January 2025 having ingested a toxic mixture of pesticides, known as the Nidderdale cocktail, linked with “numerous” other hen harrier deaths.