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winterbadgerhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/tayside_and_central/6951044.stm">Police have appealed for information after a female swan was killed with an airgun on the Perthshire nature reserve where it lived.
A post-mortem examination revealed the bird was shot once in the head. It is believed to have been killed between Friday 10 and Monday 13 August.
The swan was discovered beside the water by walkers who contacted Stirling Council's countryside ranger service.
It was one of a pair living on the Doune Ponds Nature Reserve.
Experts say the shooting must have happened within view of the creature's mate.
Senior ranger Gwenda Diack, who had monitored the bird for 12 years, said: "This was a mindless act committed against a defenceless bird - and unlike anything I have seen in 12 years with the service.
"This magnificent bird was well-known to visitors to the reserve. People are very distressed at the killing."
Police searching for vandals who scrawled graffiti at the site of the ancient Skara Brae settlement are now looking for a 35-year-old man.
The man, who might speak with a Liverpudlian accent, is said to be 5ft 6 in, of medium build with fair hair.
He may be using the name Brian Finlay and make conversation about the Celts, police on Orkney added.
Staff found the graffiti daubed on the 5,000-year-old site - including the words "Scouse Celts" - on Tuesday.
Monument managers said vandals had entered one of the houses at the site and drawn a smiley face, their name and the date with black marker pen, defacing both the dresser and one of the bed posts.
A post-mortem examination revealed the bird was shot once in the head. It is believed to have been killed between Friday 10 and Monday 13 August.
The swan was discovered beside the water by walkers who contacted Stirling Council's countryside ranger service.
It was one of a pair living on the Doune Ponds Nature Reserve.
Experts say the shooting must have happened within view of the creature's mate.
Senior ranger Gwenda Diack, who had monitored the bird for 12 years, said: "This was a mindless act committed against a defenceless bird - and unlike anything I have seen in 12 years with the service.
"This magnificent bird was well-known to visitors to the reserve. People are very distressed at the killing."
Police searching for vandals who scrawled graffiti at the site of the ancient Skara Brae settlement are now looking for a 35-year-old man.
The man, who might speak with a Liverpudlian accent, is said to be 5ft 6 in, of medium build with fair hair.
He may be using the name Brian Finlay and make conversation about the Celts, police on Orkney added.
Staff found the graffiti daubed on the 5,000-year-old site - including the words "Scouse Celts" - on Tuesday.
Monument managers said vandals had entered one of the houses at the site and drawn a smiley face, their name and the date with black marker pen, defacing both the dresser and one of the bed posts.
