WHEN I moved into my present house 12 years ago I made efforts to encourage birds to come into my garden.

The high point came two years ago when a young hedge sparrow lost all fear of me and appeared to adopt me as a parent. I could go into the garden and call it and it would fly to me.

If I was sitting in the garden it would land on me. It would fly to my hand and eat out of it. If I was inside it would hop through a window and join me. As it grew its visits became rarer and eventually it went off to do what birds (and bees) do.

One day last year I thought the garden was very quiet and looked outside. The only bird there was a sparrowhawk sitting on my summerhouse. I scared it off and it went into my neighbour's garden. It took almost two months for all the birds to return to my garden. I realise that birds of prey have a big following and people talk of them in hushed tones, but I am not one of them. I know that they are protected by law, but then so are most of the birds that are in my garden.

I encourage birds to come here because I like them and not to provide ready meals for hawks. Should one visit again, it may well spend the rest of its life here.

I note Mr Bowker does not know what to do about feral pigeons in his garden (Letters, March 22). Feed them lead Mr Bowker, feed them lead.

Jeremy D Fox,

Malton Avenue,

York.

Updated: 16:26 Friday, March 24, 2006