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Sir, - As I spend a lot of time working with gamekeepers on moor maintenance, I read with interest your article on black grouse (D&S, May 2).

Perhaps Philip Warren would care to explain how he and the national park have contributed to the expansion of numbers in black grouse. Well, I will tell you - simply nowt.

The gamekeepers are the people to thank. When have the national park or Philip Warren got involved in keeping predator numbers down, ie stoats, foxes, carrions etc, or even make sure the habitat is kept as it should be, ie heather burning but keeping some areas of longer heather.

Philip Warren should give credit where its due and thank the gamekeepers and the moor owners who are very keen to see black grouse numbers increase.

What Philip Warren has forgotten to say is that what helps keep these bird numbers down, along with other ground nesting moor birds, are the predators of the flying type, namely harriers, buzzards etc.

English Nature, it seems, wants to see the numbers of these birds to increase. Unfortunately, you can't have both.

MALCOLM RAINFORTH Knaresborough.

10:57am Friday 16th May 2008

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