Sir,
I can sympathise with the twitchers who witnessed a phalarope being killed by a buzzard (Horrified twitchers watch as starving buzzard kills rare phalarope, Jan 16), but they should not have been surprised by the bird’s behaviour. Contrary to the Walt Disneyesque spin of the bird charities, buzzards regularly kill other birds, and indeed squirrels. There is much documented evidence, and I have personally watched them take adult birds, including grouse and pheasants, while small waders are bread and butter. Buzzards will feed on carrion where they can, but they don’t always wait for something to die; they aren’t provided with hooked beaks and sharp claws for fun, and they don’t have to be “starving” to kill.
There appears to be a trend among conservation groups of denying the less palatable natural characteristics of our predator species. Only last year the RSPB suggested a Scottish farmer was lying when he described how flocks of ravens killed his newborn lambs. Last week (Jan 10) you reported that the Scottish Government has introduced new licensing to make it easier for farmers to kill ravens which are causing a problem; a very welcome about turn.
Nature is cruel. The general public should be credited with the ability to understand and accept that fact, even if it threatens to impinge on bird society memberships and charitable donations.