Rook cruelty

I was disgusted to read the article by Alastair Robertson in the Scotsman magazine (Fishing & Shooting, 8 May). His "justification" appeared to be the noise from their rookery and a rather feeble suggestion that they were pulling up the turnip seedlings of his unspecified neighbours. I wonder too about his use of the phrase "…sound dangerously like a mini-rookery"; I have yet to find even a full-size rookery that is dangerous.

Rooks are colonial nesters, and they are certainly noisy at their rookeries, but surely this is one of the most natural sounds of the countryside. I did for several years own a house under a rookery, and felt it a pleasure that they were trusting enough to build close to my house. Perhaps Mr Robertson would be better employed venting his blood lust on humans whose loud music, noisy cars or untended dogs create far more unnatural noise than rooks.

Rooks are generally benevolent to farmers, relying largely for their food on finding leather jackets and insects in the soil. Perhaps it was a good supply of these that caused the rooks to dislodge the seedlings in their search for food. Can it be legitimate in any way to shoot these birds during their nesting season?

Leaving eggs to go cold, or nestlings to starve, is not worthy of any true countryman.

MIKE BETTS

St Bernard's Row

Edinburgh