Sparrows

[Robinia]

Hi to all birdy people!  Quite a few of you were saying that there were no (or very few) sparrows in your area & I wondered whether things had improved?  Luckily here in Derbyshire we seem to have had a bumper breeding season & there are lots of lovely fluffy young ones.  Maybe the weather has suited them this year?

[shaneystar]

How lovely. ..have a great time.

[Robinia]

Yes that's great - maybe you could post a piccy or two when you get back?  Have a lovely time!!

[FP]

Enjoy yourself Burnhal.  It sounds wonderful.  Like the others, I hope you will post some photos for us.

I have just been watching a TV programme about the Hawk and Owl Trust in North Norfolk which is only one mile from me.  They are doing wonderful work to help establish the Marsh Harrier round here again.  Apparently, for decades until quite recent times they were shot by all the gamekeepers so that the pheasant farmers (of which we have many) could breed a good stock of pheasants for the shooting parties.  Some gamekeepers are still shooting them! 

[Cetti]

Bad news Robby, not a single Sparrow for some weeks now. I have a feeling there might have been a top level meeting of the Generals (the sparrows with the biggest bibs!) and my garden has been boycotted. Either that or they've all clubbed together and gone to Derbyshire or Norfolk on their hols.

burnhal - I'm packed and ready to go..... If you won't take me with you please drop by on your return and tell us what wondrous things you've seen.

[shaneystar]

I watched that this evening FP .What wonderful birds they are.
I always watch Country Days.I enjoyed the bit about Nelson too.Where he landed in Gorleston (Darbys Quay) is just down the road from me!

[Robinia]

Oh no Cetti I can't imagine a garden without sparrows!  I'll draw them a map to your area on the garden path - just as long as they don't all leave!

[fishbait]

Check out the rspb web page, many bird populations  are in decline the sparrow one of them. Each year they do a bird survey in spring. Keep an eye out for it not only is it good fun but very important. 

[LYBevan]

Our garden has been inundated with Sparrows since my husband and I started feeding the birds about a year ago.

We also have quite a few Greenfinches, Mr & Mrs Chaffinch, Mr & Mrs Bullfinch, Dunnocks, Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Long-Tailed Tits, Great Tits, Robins, a Nuthatch, a Treecreeper, a Wren, Blackbirds, many Magpies, a Sparrowhawk (who made a meal of one of the Sparrows a couple of weeks ago!), a Greater Spotted Woodpecker (he's fab) and, more recently, a Jay has found our peanut holder (apparently, a very shy bird so we feel quite honoured to have one visiting regularly).

Ironically, our neighbour across the road doesn't get any sparrows at all!

We live just outside a city centre so consider ourselves very lucky to have all these species of bird in our garden - they are so funny to watch!

We also have a LOT of pigeons - any suggestions on how to get rid of them?  We've tried changing the bird seed, put fencing and wire netting up and, although the numbers have gone down, the more persistent ones still get through!!

[Robinia]

Hi fishbait & LYBevan welcome to the AB & thanks for your replies!

LY you have a great selection like me & yes they're very entertaining.  Once you start feeding them the word soon gets around & watching them queing for a bath is hilarious!  I have pigeons creeping in too it's difficult, well impossible really, to keep them away.  My neighbour has made her bird table 'maximum security' by putting netting around it so the small birds can get in to feed. But I like to put food down for the ground feeders so I just have to hope that they all get a share!

Where in the UK are you? (I'm near to Derby) Stay in touch - we have a birdy update pretty regularly!

[LYBevan]

Hi Robinia

We live in South Wales and it's only over the past year that we've started to feed the birds.  I never thought it would be so fascinating and therapeutic!  I have a 'birds-eye' view from the kitchen window so inevitably you'll find me there with a tea towel in one hand and the binoculars in the other.  The sparrows have been such good fun to watch - we have had 10 or more at any one time squabbling over their rights to the feeder perches.  Watching them feed their young ones was very special - they would all line up on the fence waiting to be fed.  In fact, I've rapidly come to the conclusion that the birds are eating better than we are!

[Robinia]

That's lovely LYB you can be our western watchout!  We call ouselves the (mad) Birdwomen Of AnswerBank but we do allow the odd well behaved male in too! Cetti, who is in Dorset is brilliant, very knowledgeable, so if you have an unusual visitor chances are she'll be able to tell you what it is!

I know what you mean about the birds eating well, they cost me more to feed than my little dog does!