Sir, – In your piece about the 'discovered' electronic tag (The SF October 3) Ian Thomson, of the RSPB, claimed to now 'know the truth'. If I were him, I wouldn't take on a competent QC in court with that 'truth'.

All that we do know for certain from the article is that the tag, suspiciously wrapped and inexpertly disposed of in a river was the one that a young golden eagle was fitted with.

Why suspicious? Who would use lead sheeting when cheaper and more convenient aluminium foil would do just as well? Why put something in a river rather than a loch or land fill, unless you planned to retrieve it at some point?

We don't even know if the bird is alive or dead. A dead young raptor is only good for taxidermy (or promoting a political cause), but a live one might have several markets. The RSPB would like grouse moors to be licensed, with themselves heavily represented on any licensing authority.

That, if anything, gives some extremists some sort of motive for dubious practices and who is better placed to trap a bird than those tracking it's tag?

All speculation ... but so are most of the accusations made in the article.

Sandy Henderson

Faulds Farm,

Braco,

Dunblane.