The legend that Saint Melangell went to Wales to escape a forced marriage may be true but Jim Perrin’s claim that grey partridges run in the lanes around her church, is false (Country diary: no sanctuary for hunted partridge at Melangell’s church, July 14th). As his own photograph shows, these are pheasants. This is a cause for celebration, rather than alarm. There are 30% more songbirds in woods managed for pheasants, twice as many butterflies and an increase in the number of flowering shrubs.
Grain put out by gamekeepers, in the winter for their pheasants, also support many species including dunnock, blackbird and yellowhammer. New woods are more likely to be planted, and existing woodlands to be better preserved where the gamekeepers are. This explains why the RSPB also recognises the positive conservation effect of well managed pheasant shoots. It is time to recognise, rather than criticise, conservation that works.
Andrew Gilruth
Director of Communications GWCT
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