Balance wildlife

However, there are so many narrowly focused organisations beating their drums for their own particular interest that the wider, balanced, common good of our wildlife has become lost in the melee.

The public enjoy the spectacle provided by raptors, be they eagles, ospreys, buzzards, kites, falcons, hawks or whatever, and it is only proper that demand is catered for, provided this is done within a balanced wildlife ­community.

But the food chain which those increased numbers of raptors are living off is showing clear signs of collapsing under the strain.

We are getting a remarkably consistent message from those who keep an eye on the numbers of the tiny shrews, through the familiar list of garden birds and song birds, ground-nesting birds and young hares which make up a large part of the spring food chain of raptors.

Numbers are falling – drastically.

It has to be remembered that while only the largest raptors kill the largest quarry, they all eat the smallest and it is no accident that shrew and small bird numbers are showing the first, and worst decline.

Irvine Inglis

Reston

Berwickshire