WHAT a breath of fresh air to see on BBC2's Natural World that a bird long absent from Britain has started to breed again; and in Yorkshire as well.

However, some reaction to this did seem a trifle alarmist regarding the feeding habits of the eagle owl. True, this is one huge, flying, killing machine capable, it seems, of preying on the buzzard; itself a large raptor.

It is plain that, given the choice, the owl would prey almost entirely on rabbits, which most people would find acceptable, given the size of the rabbit population and the damage they do.

The problem could arise if this population suddenly vanished, as it has done in the past due to myxomatosis. In this case, could lambs, poultry, cats and small dogs find themselves next on the menu?

We may find some consolation in taking a look at a smaller relative of the eagle owl, the short-eared owl, which is fairly widespread in parts of Britain. This owl has a preference for field voles, as the eagle owl has for rabbits.

Field vole populations rise and fall drastically from year to year and so, short-eared owl numbers rise and fall accordingly. In "vole plague" years, short-eared owls produce large broods and in poor vole years they breed in smaller numbers or not at all.

Is it not more likely that eagle owls would regulate their own numbers in a similar way rather than declaring "open season" on our furry friends?

John Bardet

Rutland Close,

Copmanthorpe, York.

Updated: 10:51 Monday, November 21, 2005