The House Sparrow
Today we spotted a House Sparrow taking what looked like a very satisfying bath in the pond. Sometimes the sparrows like to dust bath in the driveway, but this one appeared to prefer the traditional method.
The House Sparrow is something of an enigma. We imagine it to be one of the most common birds in town and country and if you sit in a cafe in Paris or Milan you are apt to have one come and pickup your crumbs. But in the UK both in cities and rural areas the species has suffered a severe decline in numbers, in the UK of over 70 % in population terms, and it now appears on the RSPB's Red List of birds.
In the country the usual problems of fertilisers and loss of habitat have made life difficult for the sparrow, and in town a compound in modern car fumes appears to be specifically causing breeding problems for the birds.
Thankfully they are starting to make a comeback in Northern Ireland and Scotland, so a visit from one is always welcome.
(RSPB Illustration)
The House Sparrow is something of an enigma. We imagine it to be one of the most common birds in town and country and if you sit in a cafe in Paris or Milan you are apt to have one come and pickup your crumbs. But in the UK both in cities and rural areas the species has suffered a severe decline in numbers, in the UK of over 70 % in population terms, and it now appears on the RSPB's Red List of birds.
In the country the usual problems of fertilisers and loss of habitat have made life difficult for the sparrow, and in town a compound in modern car fumes appears to be specifically causing breeding problems for the birds.
Thankfully they are starting to make a comeback in Northern Ireland and Scotland, so a visit from one is always welcome.
(RSPB Illustration)
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