I decided to rewrite this post because of a vitriolic comment that someone posted on my last Blog entry.  Anonymously  posted  because I had dared to object that a local cat had decided to "hunt" the recently arrived migrant Chiffchaffs in my garden.  My feelings of frustration know no bounds, frustrated because I can't stop people's cats predating the birds in my garden and frustrated that people don't seem to care about my frustration and don't seem to try stop it happening.  Are people angry with me because I don't like  the way that cats are  responsible for so much destruction and death.  I actually like cats but I wouldn't have one because it would make me  sad to see it catching the birds in my garden.  So, if you are a bird lover why would you own a cat because we all know that you can't stop a cat from doing what  cats do.   I know it would be unkind to keep a cat indoors 24/7 as my anonymous and vitriolic corespondent said to me but surely thats not as cruel as the cat taking bird after bird from the garden.  Which is worse?  

I have not arrived at this opinion after just one incident and without experience, I am in my 60's and in my long(ish) and experienced life I have seen cats take numerous Blackbird, Robins, Starlings, Dunocks, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinch and even a Sparrowhawk and today Chiffchaffs. There is not a single year goes by without someone brings me a mauled bird, usually either a Blackbird or Blue Tit.  Please don't respond to this by posting rude and offensive comments.  Just think it through and understand that it simply can't be right for cats, your cat, their cat, other peoples cats to be responsible for the deaths of an estimated 2 million song birds in the the gardens of the UK annually.  Please understand that I appreciate that its what cats do but together we have to find a way  to stop it happening.

So here are a couple of pictures of the Chiffchaff  before the cat took them.