Letter: Goshawks are killing our doves

SIR – I spoke to a lady today who was very upset – apparently a goshawk has killed and taken away all her white doves.

Unfortunately, the goshawks are now doing serious damage to people’s pets and livestock.

Last year I suffered badly. They killed 21 of my doves and three bantams. I think I would be right in saying there is not one dovecot in the New Forest with any free flying doves. If there is, I would like them to contact me.

There is one consolation: I have a lot more songbirds in the wood where I live as the goshawks have killed all jays and magpies.

Back in the 1960s all predators were under control. That’s how it should be. What use are they? They don’t sing, you can’t eat them, so all they do is kill, eat and sleep.

Then the do-gooders come along – townies who sit on their bums all day pushing a pen and interfering with the countryside. Now look at the mess it’s in.

For a start we are overrun with badgers. They totally are responsible for the declining of the hedgehogs; they have eaten them, they have scratched out nests of bumblebees and baby rabbits, and devoured all ground-nesting birds. There is no end to it.

I should think I will get letters blinding me with science and telling me badgers eat earthworms. But if that was the case, surely they would have a beak!

This situation would not have happened in any country other than the UK.

Someone rang me today: they woke up this morning to find a prickly skin with no one in outside the back door. A badger had eaten Boris the pet hedgehog.

Peter Whitefield,
South Baddesley