The scarceness of birds in Mary Julian’s Hackney garden (Letters, 18 October) is maybe an issue of the city. Here in Newcastle on the day after her letter was released we enjoyed our typical excellent tit, blue tit, coal tit, gold finch, chaffinch, green finch, dunnock, blackbird, robin, starling, wood pigeon and ring-necked parakeet. The weekend prior to, we had actually wren, bullfinch, jackdaw, crow and a set of long-tailed tits; and earlier that week, we had a higher spotted woodpecker and a number of gos to by the area sparrowhawk.
Reg and Val Hall
Newcastle upon Tyne
Possibly the birds missing out on from Mary Julian’s garden have actually moved 5 miles north-west to Crouch End. Our garden feeders routinely draw in goldfinches, nuthatches, robins, dunnocks, jays, excellent tits, wood pigeons, blackbirds– and parakeets.
Judith and Malcolm Abbs
Crouch End, London
“Where have all the birds gone?” asks Mary Julian. Well, rather plainly they remain in my little garden. The young who were brought here in the spring have actually remained on throughout the summer season, primarily since I use a range of food, and, more notably, 3 birdbaths, filled up a number of times a day. Their shenanigans in the water are pure gold to enjoy.
Marguerite Christmas
Stamford, Lincolnshire
Here in the southern suburban areas of Birmingham, we have actually seen no decrease in varieties of sparrows, blackbirds, tits and robins, regardless of having 2 active tomcats.
Ted Heath
Olton, West Midlands
My table visitors appear decreased to an effective variety of magpies and jackdaws. Blackbirds are practically nonexistent, dunnocks less, sparrows decreased. Sparrowhawks have actually taken numerous birds this year– pigeon, ring dove, blue tit– best in front of me. Bird influenza has actually triggered huge death amongst the seabirds on the neighboring Lothian coast, guillemots especially, however hunger has actually likewise been an aspect.
Adrian Laird Craig
Edinburgh
We have actually likewise lost our little garden birds. We blame the magpies– there are lots of them.
Ted Prangnell
Ashford, Kent