I ENDORSE H Brown's observations (March 7). We have fed and cherished many species of garden birds over the past years.

If the magpies and sparrow hawks are allowed to carry on multiplying as they are at present, we shall have no garden birds left.

We have witnessed the distress of parent doves, pigeons and blackbirds trying to protect their eggs and young from attacking magpies and a baby blue tit being torn apart by a pair of magpies.

Last summer a whole family of young thrushes and a whole family of young blackbirds fell prey to the pair of sparrow hawks who terrorise the birds of our neighbouring gardens and our own.

We all feed and cherish our little visitors who give so much pleasure with their songs. One cheeky blackbird, so friendly that he would almost feed from the hand, was singing his heart out at the top of our plum tree when he was plucked from his perch, screaming, feathers flying, by a murderous hawk, never to be seen again.

Each evening last summer we could see the hawks sitting in tall trees a few gardens away just waiting to swoop down for their suppers. I realise that they are special birds, but so too are the thrushes, blackbirds, robins, tits and such who give us so much pleasure.

My heart goes out to the small birds who just don't stand a chance against these predators.

Mary Morton,

Acomb Road, York.

Updated: 09:39 Wednesday, March 15, 2006