The humble House Sparrow has been in the news here with the story that there numbers are declining around certain parts of the UK.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7738798.stm
The experts attribute the fall in numbers due to changes within the gardens here. Modern garden design (think decking and patios), continued urban development, and the loss of Tree's were all mentioned as contributing.
Less green plants mean less insects.
The RSPB thinks that the lack of insects means that the baby House Sparrows do not grow into maturity.
The good news for brown thumbs is that if you're garden is slightly wild and unkempt that you will probably have House Sparrows. Overgrown gardens attract spiders and insects, the House Sparrows baby bird food..
During the Summer I had upto thirty House and Wood Sparrows dive bombing my feeders. I used my Parisian photo of the Notre Dame House Sparrow (thats a big house to live next to!).
I have seen a few today in the garden. I have not cut the privet hedge like the people on either side of me. I reasoned that the birds like some cover to execute their daily raids on my feeders, so they can hide and watch the garden.
I do enjoy the Birds visiting my garden. It is one of the greatest simple pleasures watching them from the kitchen door with a cup of coffee and a camera.
5 comments:
I'm doing my part to help out. I have a lot of plans for the kinds of shrubs they will like. The garden is so much happier with birds chirping about.
Never fear, if they do decline and disappear in Britain, we can send busloads of the little buggers back home to you.
No shortage of the immigrant descendants on this side of the pond...
Hi Anna,I put more food out on the bird table today and moved the feeders around.I can hear the birds singing outside now...
Hi Jenn,Thanks for the comment I feel a new post coming on.If they ever died out here House Sparrows we could bring them back from the USA...
They'll be bigger though.
Just think of the size of their robins :-)
jo
Yeh I agree with you Anna and Snappy, Gardens are boring with out birds flying around. I am trying to grow a lot of shrubs too at my backyard garden to invite birds to freely move around the place, the sound their make brings a relaxing feeling:-)
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