AS a lifelong wildlife enthusiast and keen birdwatcher, I am pleased to say that this year seems to mark a definite upturn in the numbers of birds of prey in the York area.

A guided tour of the Harewood estate in March was rewarded with dozens of red kite sightings, plus a few buzzards. Possibly due to refreshingly new land-management methods and, in the case of red kites, human intervention by reintroduction, the kites, buzzards and other hawks seem to be making a steady return.

Peregrine falcons have also nested and successfully reared a young chick which now joins its parents in the air around a quarry near the A64 at Tadcaster. Kestrels and sparrow hawks continue to do fairly well, but now the York area appears to have at least three other species of breeding hawks. Spectacular to see for the birdwatcher, this also has a wider significance. Being at the top of their food-chain, when birds of prey thrive this indicates that the bird, mammal and insect prey upon which they depend must also be thriving.

Keep watching the skies.

John Bardet,

Rutland Close,

Copmanthorpe, York.

Updated: 11:17 Wednesday, August 04, 2004