House sparrow /starling
English Sparrows are still, our most common Sparrow. I've never seen flocks of the size you describe there. Certainly, building codes and practices make houses "bird unfriendly," while removing natural habitat. You birders, you "citizen/scientists," have my admiration.
I read here that Starling populations in the UK are also challenged? Well, you can have ours if you can catch them. There are plenty to go around in the U.S.. I only wish they tasted better.
Sorry, my humor isn't for everyone. I like Sparrows and Starlings... no, really. One would think, as a descendant of feral Brits, I would be more empathetic to my fellow beasties. We are tenacious at least, eh?
hahaha all is
forgiven
You say there are plenty of starlings to go around in the U.S.
its such a big country i wonder if people would notice a drop in numbers
there, them and sparrows were always round one time here and yes
their numbers have plummeted to what they were here theres no mistakeing
when they are feeding their young in the nest when you hear the young
calling out i always find a typical nesting site when out in the country if
if not in masonry it would be in a bole hole of a mature ash tree with
perhaps a bracket fungus growing nearby and just a few branches or a
whole crown of branches above thou it has never been pointed out to me
I have always noticed the starling here seems to prefer the ash tree to
any other tree to nest in be it crevice or bole hole another one for the
scientists to work out
but its been one of the many features i have
seen when out, strangely enough at this very time we do have a hugh
starling roost in the north of my county in the peak district estimates
have put it at 50,000 wintering birds from observers watching them it would certainly
be a sight worth watching predators like peregrine have been trying their
luck amongst this roost and one usual hunting method was recorded
from a peregine in to the starlings anyway nice shareing with you dan.. :t:
