[seb_seb]

new bird today was a tree sparrow.....looking stunning in its red feathers and defined markings. i understand these birds are closely linked to arable farming (which i live no where near) and also have declined greatly..so it was definately a surprise :)

[new 2 this]

Hello seb_seb, we live near lots of farms but the decline in tree sparrows, house sparrows and starlings has been quite dramatic round our way, I think it is lack of food (caused by new farming practices)and the fact that most of the hedges have been removed in favour of wooden fences.

I intend to install a holly hedge (with berries 4 the birds) in our front garden when money and time permit and a honeysuckle hedge in the back. Plus I need to buy another tree as we have a tree for each of our children but our youngest 17 mths, I was going to plant plum but you get lots of wasps I recently heard so apple will be better for the birds, and hopefully less wasps.

Our local sparrows are very shy and love peanuts or a mixture of fat, oatmeal and seed mixed and served in bells, on a birdtable or in a block feeder. I keep a large bowl of this in the fridge at all times, starlings love it too. I put it on a flat plate on the shed, luckily our shed has a flat roof.

Teresa

[T0ny]

Talking about a tree for each of your children (what a wonderful idea, by the way) I was out the other day and saw a most elaborate tree-house locally - permanent steps, glass windows, electric cable running up the tree etc, with a notice on it. I put my bins on the notice to read :-

'The Tree House Of The August Moon'.

Someone else has a sense of humour like mine - poor devils !

Tony

[new 2 this]

Last year I priced up a bunch of tree houses as they were all the vogue and I thought the kids would love them but my jaw hit the floor when I spotted the price tags. They are lovely but really you need to be very rich.

I bet our local birds would have loved perching on the tree house and wondered if it was for them ;-)...the biggest nestbox they'd ever seen perhaps....and poshest :-))

Teresa

[new 2 this]

It was watching 'Dennis the Mennace' in his tree house that got me started on the tree house interest front, I wonder if that is what started the trend....no doubt they will be just as popular this year as last, and the birds will no doubt be confused....'is it for us, they'll twitter?'

[cjay]

Where do the Red feathers come from in a Tree Sparrow?

[seb_seb]

im not used to seeing the tree sparrows so i thought red as it really did look that colour compared to house sparrows.....
also today a pair of bullfinches on bird table eating dried fruit .havent seen one in while