Preying on garden birds (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Preying on garden birds

IN the Swindon Advertiser I read that there was an article about getting rid of the seagulls in the town by using birds of prey.

Has it occurred to anyone that this is likely to decimate our garden birds such as robins, blackbirds, thrushes, sparrows, starlings etc?

Surely birds of prey will go for the easy option or perhaps they are clever and will be taught only to go for seagulls?

Is no wildlife safe from this council? What have they got against it?

The garden birds already have a hard time trying to survive with pesticides, decking and concrete, not forgetting the numerous cats.

The only time we used to see seagulls here was if the weather was going to be bad on the coast so they used to come inland for safety.

Now they have found people throw food (like chips) on the pavements etc, so it saves them foraging for natural foods in their normal habitat.

Mind you, at the moment they are having a whale of a time round here catching flying ants.

M R KING

Swindon