Guess what I've just seen.....

[Kleiber]

Hey, everyone - I know you all get excited about goldcrests & ravens & the like, but I've just seen a pair of house sparrows on my bird feeder!! We just don't get them up here. I'm so chuffed!! I've lived here for 6 years and have never seen any this far up (there are plenty down in the valley, on the farms). I hope thay stay.

[hammerman]

A small group of house sparrows have just eaten the best part of 200 flower buds on my parents Wisteria in a week...not a single flower remains.

Now where's my air rifle !!!

[Kleiber]

p.s. Just been out to top up the bird feeders & I looked up to the telephone wires near the stable & was even more chuffed to see one of our swallows! He must've arrived during the night. They nest every year in the stable, so hopefully his mate will be home soon, too!

[Kleiber]

Aw, hammerman, you wouldn't, would you? Just tell your parents to net the wisteria in future! They're lucky they've got buds already - up here, mine is only just starting to show leaf buds, never mind flowers!

[bigmamma]

That's lovely Kleiber , I don't know if it's due to all the local cats and dogs , but I haven't seen a bird at all in my garden for a couple of years , not even touching the seed ball at all .
xxxx

[Kleiber]

I must admit, I'm a bit worried about the cats, especially when the baby birds are fledging. Cleo's the bird killer (the others prefer mice & voles) - she had a siskin the other day, found it in the dairy - I've no idea how she got the poor thing in there 'cos the door was closed!

[Cetti]

That is exciting ,Kleiber - and I'm not being sarcastic, either! Worth their weight in gold for entertainment, so I hope they stay as well!

I once watched a couple peck through string on my neighbours runner beans till the poles (and the beans) collapsed!

[Robinia]

That's lovely Kleiber! I'd be just as excited to see a siskin...or the first swallow.
I'm lucky enough to have a fair amount of sparrows, in fact I had to clap my hands & have a stern word with a small group this morning who were having a noisy fight!
Like Cetti I've seen them untie string & take it away...and the one who followed pigeons around & plucked feathers out of their rumps will go down in sparrow history. :o)

[garner]

It would be lovely if they decide to stay for you Kleiber they are cheerful little darlings and some of the antics they get up to are funny, I have alot in my garden and they give me hours of pleasure watching them and are so tolerant of other birds what come and visit.g.

[ruthann58]

oh lovley sparrows are my favorite birds such cheeky little birds my husband has made me a sparrow box this year for them to nest in but it did not get up in time but i think they might be nesting under the tiles we have got 2 lots of tits in the boxes and this morning we watched a pair of jackdaws building in a tree next door so better not leave the bedroom windows open to wide when i was a little girl my nan had a pet jackdaw and he pinched her false teeth and took them up the oak tree he did bring them back after a few hours

[spudqueen]

I've just seen my first swallow aswell. It's not been a nice day weather wise, lots of rain and hail but the sun has now come out and it looks like it's going to be a nice evening and I've seen my first swallow - fantastic! I'm in Lancashire btw.

[shaneystar2]

I have a Mr and Mrs Sparrow and their numerous offspring .They are comical to watch ..they certainly give the old starlings a run for their money . I often watch them on the feeders and they get really argumentative with said starlings .When we had the snow recently I watched a starling and a sparrow in a tree at the side .It was a really cold day..and they were huddled there eyeing one another up as if to say ...bgr this for a game of soldiers .....truce !!

I have a friend on the IOW and and last time I was there we went to a cafe come restaurant where you can sit outside ....full of sparrows ...and so tame ..they come and sit on your table and eat out of your hand ..they can spot a scone a mile off ....wonderful
Hope your new feathered friends stay with you ...

[tiggerblue10]

I saw a wood-pigeon in my garden earlier. They look much nicer than those nasty things that get everywhere. Oh and it was a good job my 2 where asleep otherwise the wood-pigeon would have bee no more!!! Lol

[Kleiber]

Thanks for all your lovely replies! I did chuckle when I read about the jackdaw & the false teeth, ruthann! Haven't seen the sparrows this morning, but Mr Swallow spent the night in the stable & this morning was sitting up on the phone wire again, twittering. It's funny, but I checked back in my diary and it was precisely the same weekend last year that he arrived! His mate came back the following Wednesday, so I'm hoping she'll make it OK this year, too. I'll keep you posted. K xx

[Kleiber]

No sign of Mrs Swallow yet. The little male is waiting in the stable, he's cleaned out last year's nest, but he seems so lonely. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this weekend...

[Robinia]

ooh, bless him...but don't be too sure about Mrs Swallow Kleiber. It's my guess she's watching him do all the dirty work before she moves in, sensible girl. Maybe he ought to try flowers around the door, some birds do that don't they? It's very cold here but a few have been spotted over the park a mile or two away!