The Not So Common House Sparrow

When I was young there were literally millions of house sparrows. Every time we raced round a corner we'd disturb a flock of thirty or forty birds off the street and on to the rooftops. Nowadays they're nowhere near common, with a 70% reduction in numbers since the Seventies and not just in the urban areas.

I'm lucky to live in an area where I see sparrows quite regularly and the local council is currently monitoring the bird to see how the population is doing. In my garden in the last week or two it's blossomed with a pair bringing their fledglings to the feeders.

Sparrows lay between 2 and 5 eggs and this pair seem to have hatched the maximum and Dad has been on feeding duties most of the time. He pecks away at the fat balls before passing it on to one open mouth after another. This suggests Mum is back on the nest as they can have up to four clutches in a good breeding season.

The young are beginning to get the hang of the feeders and can be seen precariously balancing on a small twig trying to reach the seeds rather than alight on the feeders built in perch. As their confidence grows they are becoming more adept.

These five will be added to the local survey and if the parents are as good at raising the next brood hopefully I can add their siblings. Maybe one day we'll get used to seeing flocks again on our streets rather than the rare individual of recent years.