It’s encouraging to see garden birds thriving again (Formerly rare garden birds now booming thanks to food put out for them, report says, May 21). At the GWCT, we have shown that farmers can do the same with farmland birds by providing food. But, while this increases the number of songbirds, it does also increase some of the species that predate songbirds and damage crops. That’s why the additional brake, provided by the General Licence, allows adjustments to be made to increase the protection of the vulnerable species, such as song thrushes.

Alastair Leake

Director of policy at GWCT