Sparrows

[Robinia]

Hi to all birdy people!  Quite a few of you were saying that there were no (or very few) sparrows in your area & I wondered whether things had improved?  Luckily here in Derbyshire we seem to have had a bumper breeding season & there are lots of lovely fluffy young ones.  Maybe the weather has suited them this year?

[shaneystar]

Loads of them in my garden at the moment Robinia.Our back fence is quite high and covered in that big ivy and I think they nest in there.They are comical to watch! On the side of my garden I have an area covered in bark.We cut a big old tree down a few months ago so I've mulched the bark over it ready for planting up in the autumn.Every morning the bark is all over the path.I thought it was cats ,but no.....I caught them at it,three beautiful thrushes.They were having a high old time slinging the bark about looking for grubs I suppose. I rush for my binoculars and camera but I'm never quick enough!!

[Robinia]

Hi shaneystar!  Three thrushes (not east to say!) you're so lucky!! I had one for the first time in years in the spring so am hoping that they're coming back into the area.

The sparrows are so funny. When they're startled by something & fly up into the hedge there's always one that stays put, looks around as if to say 'What happened?' & carries on eating!  There was one a few yrs ago who followed the doves around & pulled the feathers out of their rears presumably for her nest!  (This morning I thought all the birds were extra fluffy - turned out to be my bins were out of focus!!)

I just have to add that I've always had sparrows, there just seems to be an abundance at the moment.

[burnhal]

same here- loads of sparrows at the mo- the feeders are being used up as quickly as they do in the winter. Guess they will disperse in time but certainly seems like more than normal for this time of year. The greenfinches are just as busy- lots of them about as well and also abundance of dunnocks. And a bonus white cockatiel of some sort this morning!

[Gooner_Badge]

Nope .. SE London is still devoid of sparrows I'm afraid ... BUT!!!!!!!!!!!! ........... I took my little lad to the park the other day and there was a HUGE stork standing there .. as we go nearer it flew away ... never seen one in the wild before .. amazing!!!

[Robinia]

Thanks for your answers.  It seems to be spot the odd bird out then!  A cockatiel & a stork, not sure what I'll have to spot to top those!

[FP]

Loads of Sparrows, even more than usual.  I just love them.  We seem to have a lot more woodpeckers than usual this year (greater spotted), but my spring thrushes seem to have left.  Never had a stork in my garden, but we do get quite a few herons.  (They steal next door's goldfish, he he!)

[Robinia]

Hi FP - seems like more good news for sparrows - it's not just me seeing double!

Mmm you seem a bit gleeful about your neighbour's fish you naughty person, don't you get on with them?!

[Robinia]

...the neighbours that is...not the fish!

[FP]

My neighbours are not a wildlife friendly couple Robinia.  They don't have a single weed in sight and only grow showy flowers.   They moan that I don't shoot the rabbits and hares in my garden and they have been known to sneek in with mole traps.   Their silly fishpond with its ornaments is their pride and joy!  They are quite a nice couple really, but I think they ought to move out of the countryside onto an urban estate instead of fighting a losing battle with nature. 

But it does give me a smug feeling when the herons eat their goldfish!!

[FP]

and Mr Eversoperfectgarden said he was going to shoot the herons - and he meant it!!

[shaneystar]

OOOh ...The swine!!!
I love to see herons.Back to Wimbledon againFP.There is a flood meadow in Lower Morden where the Pilbrook runs through off the Wandle and there used to be several there.Lots of foxes too.The council dug out ponds and there were a couple of Mandarin ducks one year.Loads of frogs.It used to be lovely in the summer ,a mass of buttercups and blackberrypickers heaven in the late summer. I love it here in Norfolk but miss that meadow as I have not seen one fox or heron since we have been here ,two years in November.

[FP]

I used to go for long walks across Wimbledon Common with my Dad when I was a child and it was just so wonderful - easier to go for long walks there with nature all about than it is here where the farmers are nasty and plough up the footpaths.  I am sure it was the Wandle than ran near to my school in Merton Park Road?

Next time I see a Heron, Shaneystar I'll send it over to you.  We live really near to a Birds of Prey conservation area and we get some really lovely birds.

[Robinia]

Aha FP in that case I understand!  I think there are people like that everywhere.  There's a couple just up the road from me & I swear that they used a ruler to plant their salvia soldiers!! 

[Robinia]

And you can have some of my foxes - they smell just lovely....!

[burnhal]

and why does the dog love to roll in what the foxes leave!!!!

[Robinia]

Oh yuck burnhal!  Luckily my little dog doesn't do the pooh thing but he has got a bizarre habit of rolling on worms in the grass.  Great when he cuddles up & you find a dried one stuck in his (long) ear!

[FP]

One of our old dogs, Amy, liked nothing better than to eat any poo from any animal (including her own)!  We were told she would grow out of it, but she died aged 16 and still liked the occasional nibble.  (Great when she gave us loving licks!)

[FP]

We have turned this thread from Sparrows into poo!!!!

[Robinia]

Yes you can blame burnhal ;-).  Sooo glad I'm not doing sausage for tea!

[burnhal]

Sorry!!! Lol! Still- I dont care- off to Mull for two weeks on Saturday - hopefully two weeks of otters, sea-eagles, seabirds, red deer, dolphins and Minke whales!!