Glad over decision of judge in bird case

LETTER - I am glad to hear that a judge has decided to give a case more thought over the Ludlow gamekeeper who shot two buzzards on an estate near Craven Arms.

Some laws appertaining to the Wildlife and Countryside Act need changing and the protection of many raptors is one which needs changing very soon to save the songbirds and farmland birds.

However, the Government and the RSPB seem keen on introducing more birds of prey and letting their numbers get out of control to the detriment of species which are in decline.

The British Ornithological Trust and the Songbird Survival charity are in the midst of doing a study scientifically on predators of smaller weaker birds.

Over 10 years I have been feeding farmland birds including pheasant and red leg partridge besides songbirds. I have recorded numbers and witnessed the damage done by predators whose numbers have grown.

In fact this year I have lost 15 female pheasants, nine male pheasants, four red legged partridge, five yellow hammers, a pair of thrushes, over a dozen blackbirds and two pairs of doves and many small birds.

In fact I now have few birds to feed. The culprits being magpies, sparrow-hawks and buzzards. We need a cull on raptors whose numbers soar to save the other birds.

I am both distressed and angry that few people seem to care about our loss of songbirds and farmland birds. Judge, this gamekeeper does not warrant a jail sentence. The crime is laid at the feet of those who defend these raptors.

H Wooldridge, Bewdley