Sir – It was a shock to see such prominence given to destructive views expressed by Christopher Gray. He began with a sincere account of distress at seeing a sparrowhawk kill a blackbird in an Osney garden.

Anyone can understand how he felt; few can watch a predator at work, even on television, without misgivings. Countless people share his concern for the welfare of British wildlife and worry about changes they have read about or noticed. It would have been nice to read something that clarified this immensely complex and emotive subject.

Instead, readers got an unprocessed endorsement of another journalist’s biased and illogical opinions, including the astonishing statement that “we must cull the killing machines now if we are to preserve the balance of nature in this country”. Such language has no place in a reasoned debate about British wildlife. It not only fosters hatred but also seems to advocate violence against a number of wild species that are protected by law.

Before we gang up on sparrowhawks or any other creature in Mr Gray’s motley black list, could we remember that changes in wildlife populations have multiple and ever-changing causes that are being closely monitored by properly qualified people and are already being addressed in a range of appropriate practical ways?

Predators are one small part of the balance of nature that Mr Gray seeks to protect.The recent partial recovery of a few of our native raptors from near extinction in the mid-20th century is a conservation success to celebrate, not least because it is welcome evidence of improvement in our own environment.

Daphne Briggs, Oxford