Madam, - Recently the Department of Environment and other agencies reintroduced the red kite to Ireland. This species disappeared from Ireland about 200 years ago. Its only known habitat in these islands is in central Wales and occasionally southern England. The reason for the kites' demise in Ireland was that they were killing off so many game birds. Gamekeepers killed them off to preserve pheasant, grouse, partridge and other birds. The rights and wrongs of this belong to discussions of these past times.
My reason for writing this letter is to protest at the reintroduction of this killer to Ireland. In early July I heard an unfamiliar cry as a group of three kites was flying toward a spruce forest just below Glencullen, Co Dublin. This forest overlooks a quiet valley. The following morning I found a small pile of thrush feathers and the remains of a vomited meal of worms and insects left by the victim on the grass beside my house.
This area is home to many forms of wildlife; among the most valued are thrush and blackbird. Each day three to five of these songsters are feeding on the lawn. Since that first sighting and sound of kites in this valley, no thrushes or blackbirds are to be seen. The kites, it would appear, have moved to a new killing area. Native birds are well aware of our native hawks and take evasive action, with some success. Kites, however, are a new terror which they recognise too late.
The great naturalist Rachel Carson wrote her book Silent Springto warn of the overuse and misuse of pesticides. Now we are introducing a killer species of which our birds' instincts are unaware. For a time the kites will feast and grow fat. What then? Eat carrion? The masses of magpies and grey crows have cleared that up, so what's next on their menu? - Yours, etc,
A.E. ELDON,
Kilternan,
Dublin 18.