Sir, - I am tired of reading in the press and media about how modern farming practices are damaging our native wild bird population. Removing livestock and letting the landscape go wild does not necessarily mean the bird population will increase.

The factors affecting the number of ground nesting birds is more to do with the control of raptors, timing of agricultural operations, whether or not dogs are allowed to roam off lead, having an adequate supply of feeding ground and material, and most important of all, whether they were successful in rearing last year's offspring at that site.

On our intensive dairy and sheep farm in Wensleydale, we have a very good population or nesting curlews, lapwings, oyster catchers and snipe, some of which have nested successfully for many years in silage fields which are cut four times a year. The lapwings on the high ground nest so close that they fight for ground territory. A neighbouring field which is an SSSI has little, if any, nesting birds on it.

Last spring, the Yorkshire Dales national park and the RSPB did a bird count to establish populations. The area of my farm identified was not representative of the population which existed, so I invited them to come and have a look at how well the birds were thriving on the intensive ground; this they did not do.

The offer still exists for the RSPB or any other reputable wildlife group to monitor the bird populations for a year. I know we are not the only intensive farm that cares for its birds. Most farmers are a lot closer to nature than are given credit for. So stop knocking the farmers and let's deal with the facts.

ALASTAIR DINSDALE

West End Farm,

Carperby,

Leyburn,

Why worry?

Sir, - With reference to the hunting vote in parliament, the hunting lobby need have no fears since should the bill ever become law, it will provide in practice to be completely unenforceable.

My daughter and her husband are farmers, and like many of their colleagues, they are constantly invaded by so called "lurcher men" who trespass on their land with dogs and course for hares and deer. The police are virtually impotent since they simply do not have the resources and manpower to tackle the problem, and on one rare occasion when some offenders were actually apprehended, we were told that no action could be taken as it would be quite impossible to obtain a successful conviction.

This criteria would surely apply to hunting, unless our devious Prime Minister actually honours one of his many broken promises and starts to get tough on crime by strengthening the police force.

This is as likely to happen as pigs flying round Roseberry Topping, and so the fox hunters can look forward to enjoying their sport for many years to come.

JOHN ELLERBY

Leven Court

Great Ayton.