Sparrows back again (1 Viewer)

dave gore

Member

• Jan 22, 2004

• #1

dave asked

am i missing something regarding sparrows being less vivsble at certain times of year?, back in late November/early December we had a garden full of them feeding alonside blue tits, goldfinches, blackbirds and the odd thrush and then the sparrows stoped calling, then on wednsday they were back again just as before and feeding just as well with all the other visitors

any thoughts as to the disappearance?

dave

 

J

Jim Archer

Well-known member

• Jan 22, 2004

• #2

Dave

I have no idea re- disappearance of House Sparrows.

Would appreciate advice on bringing them back though!!

In my part of Sheffield they are rarer than Waxwings.

Jim

 

dave gore

Member

• Jan 22, 2004

• #3

Jim Archer said:

Dave

I have no idea re- disappearance of House Sparrows.

Would appreciate advice on bringing them back though!!

In my part of Sheffield they are rarer than Waxwings.

Jim

Click to expand...

dave replied (with a laugh)

in my expert opinion, do exactly as you were doing before, then wait for about 6 weeks, works for me every time!!!

dave

 

scampo

Steve Campsall

• Jan 22, 2004

• #4

We've only recently had a pair of house sparrows return to our garden, I'm pleased to say. Let's just hope they manage to avoid the cats (they're our cats - all two of them, sleepy things until they espy a bird and then they think they're kittens again).

I hope it means they're on the increase after so many years of decline. I notice in our local paper that the council is putting up some communal sparrow nest boxes, 4x4's - I didn't know they were communal nesters - those in our house eve's as a kid weren't.

 

John N

Well-known member

• Jan 22, 2004

• #5

The sparrows in our garden must be Invisible all the time.Anyone got any to spare?

 

pauco

Старлин&

• Jan 22, 2004

• #6

Still in very good numbers, in leyland 30+ daily,
its good to see.

 

E

edrick owl

edrick owl - a real twit

• Jan 22, 2004

• #7

Last summer I counted just over 40 in our beech hedge, so far this winter I have counted a maximum of 26, plus a maximum of 3 Tree Sparrows at any one time (BTO Surveying).

I enjoy watching them squabble, bathe and move en mass when any apparent threat appears, and think it's good that we can be helping such a common(?) native bird, instead of things like Ospreys etc.

Please note, I have nothing against Opsreys or any other bird, it's just that House Sparrows are such a local, on-your-doorstep bird, one you do not have to travel miles to see.

edrick owl.

 

scampo

Steve Campsall

• Jan 22, 2004

• #8

Well - would you want an osprey on your back door step?

(-;

 

Ruby

Well-known member

• Jan 22, 2004

• #9

Can't recall ever seeing a sparrow in our garden - certainly not in recent years....

 

rogerk

That's a, I say that's a chicken, boy!

• Jan 22, 2004

• #10

dave gore said:

dave asked

am i missing something regarding sparrows being less vivsble at certain times of year?, back in late November/early December we had a garden full of them feeding alonside blue tits, goldfinches, blackbirds and the odd thrush and then the sparrows stoped calling, then on wednsday they were back again just as before and feeding just as well with all the other visitors

any thoughts as to the disappearance?

dave

Click to expand...

As opposed to traditional practices, these days we grow "winter" wheat, this is usually ready for harvest the week before or the weak after Christmas (I'm told), the harvesting of said wheat may well attract a lot of our town birds to local fields. Coupled with, of course, many people's belief that fat feeders are only necessary around Christmas time when also, folks put out more scraps.
Most of this is only theory, as for the wheat thing, have you noticed similar absences of other graniforous birds, pigeons, chaffinches etc?

 

M

Mike D

Hare today - gone tomorrow!

• Jan 23, 2004

• #11

Dave - Christmas hols somewhere warm, I suspect!

 

Swift

Well-known member

• Jan 23, 2004

• #12

Around 35 Sparrows in the garden every day .

 

B

Bernie

New member

• Aug 24, 2004

• #13

Sparrows in Geneva

I have just joined BirdForum. In my start up message I said some of the following:
There are lots and lots of house and tree sparrows in Geneva, all over the city, up and down the lakeside, in the treelined parks, in suburbs and apartment blocks, and in the city centre; all this despite the massive use of unleaded petrol, pesticides in the farmland, the widespread long-established distribution of sparrowhawks outside the city, and the rampaging black kites on their summer visits from March to August.
Maybe the reason for their decline in big cities lies elsewhere.

 

scampo

Steve Campsall

• Aug 24, 2004

• #14

Bernie said:

I have just joined BirdForum. In my start up message I said some of the following:
There are lots and lots of house and tree sparrows in Geneva, all over the city, up and down the lakeside, in the treelined parks, in suburbs and apartment blocks, and in the city centre; all this despite the massive use of unleaded petrol, pesticides in the farmland, the widespread long-established distribution of sparrowhawks outside the city, and the rampaging black kites on their summer visits from March to August.
Maybe the reason for their decline in big cities lies elsewhere.

Click to expand...

You make good points, Bernie. I have always wondered what the cause is. Perhaps it is the supply of winter feed - farming methods have changes, and it could be that the house sparrows move into farmland for part of the year?