YOURVIEW Lockdown activities

PHOTOS, LETTER, TWEETS, QUESTIONS – HAVE YOUR SAY

Throughout my second lockdown, I set myself a challenge to keep me distracted and to use my time to help conservation. This involved making and distributing 13 Little Owl nestboxes, as well as ten Tawny Owl nestboxes. I have achieved this by contacting local farmers across my area. Hopefully, this will be successful for next year, something to look forward to. During the process of creating these nestboxes, I felt it gave me focus, a positive feeling, hoping I might have made a difference. I went on making 22 feeders to donate to care homes, with hope of keeping the residents focused, to help with mental health in this difficult time!

I found it rewarding when one of the residents approached me through her bedroom window. She said I had brought her joy to her mornings as she watches the birds feed. So, we don’t have to let these circumstances get in the way!

Harriet Day

Eider duvet question

I really enjoyed your latest article on Eider and the harvesting of their down, and appreciated that the end mentioned our general and widespread abuse of bird species, including the horrific live-plucking of geese for traditional down, something that I worry not enough people are aware of. However, I was a bit confused as the article claims that the Eider down is only collected and cleaned after the chicks have fledged, which sounds ideal – but one of the photos mentions a farmer temporarily removing eggs from a nest in order to replace the down with hay. Could you provide clarification? Like most people I will never be able to afford an Eider down duvet, but am still curious about the ethics of its production.

Becci, Northern Ireland

n The editor says: We understand that it varies, but that most farmers only collect down once the birds have left (the breeding season is very short). Others may do as pictured when they are confident that the birds will tolerate it – it’s not in the farmer’s interest to deter future breeding.

Show restraint

While it may be very tempting to come up with what Kevin Larkin describes as a “subtle and demeaning” term for the shooting fraternity (Your View, December) in response to ‘bunny hugger’ which is applied to birdwatchers and

conservationists, I urge restraint. Showing my age, I will quote Sir Noël Coward, who, when asked to respond to some criticism or setback replied: “I shall rise above it!” What goes on in the playground should stay in the playground.

Sandra Jones

I have never been one for ‘name calling’, but Kevin Larkin’s challenge (December Your view) struck a chord. How about ‘Loose Cannons’ as a nickname for the bullish shooting fraternity?

Neil J. Bemment

Fox encounter

I love your magazine, which I read from cover to cover, and there is always something new to learn.

I thought you might like to see the attached photograph ( below), which was taken at the Lower Farm reserve which is at the end of Newbury Racecourse. Sadly, the reserve is up for sale, so all the wonderful wildlife may be about to lose this lovely place.

It was in the middle of the day and I couldn’t see what the Fox was eating, but the Egyptian Geese were very distressed and were making a huge amount of noise.

After a while the Fox retired to lie down on the far side of the field and the geese and Magpies wandered off in different directions.

Elaine Walkingshaw

Animal killing

I am writing in support of the letter sent to you from Tom Cook regarding the Amazon advert that promoted the killing of birds ( BW, November 2020). Your response was heartening, as it is easy to feel like a lone voice protesting about this indefensible activity of persecuting raptors, and the rearing of birds to be shot for enjoyment, which is also indefensible. Surely in the 21st Century the enjoyment of killing animals and birds should have died out, and certainly should not be an acceptable source of income.

I live in Scotland and am surrounded by beautiful countryside that is scarred by heather burning; and the clean air is polluted by the consequent smoke, killing insect life. And, as it continues until the end of April, will destroy pipits, Wheatears, plovers, etc.

I am glad to say there is a campaign called Revive Scotland that has formed a coalition to lobby the Scottish Government to eventually bring a halt to the ‘farming’ of grouse and return the moors to foresting and rewilding.

They have managed to bring the uncontrolled slaughter of the Mountain Hare to an end by legislating that permissions have to be sought before any killing is undertaken. Revive is free to join, but they do represent the silent majority who detest the “unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable”. Sheila Simey