Around 3 years ago I decided to build Swift boxes into the gable end of our house. I started with 4 boxes and obtained a Swift call player off Louise Bentley (the Swift lady) and played it morning and evening hopefully to attract them. They occasionally flew over the house but unfortunately they didn't show any interest.
In the first year we had a pair of House Sparrows move into one of the boxes. Last year I built in another three boxes although no Swifts again a second pair of House Sparrows moved in.
This year we have Sparrows in every box and three pairs have managed to find their way into our roof space. To have 10 pairs breeding is fantastic as prior to installing the boxes we never had a Sparrow in our garden or even heard them calling.
I collected a large bag of dead grass and put it into a Cotoneaster in the garden where they like to congregate. It has been brilliant watching them take all the nesting material in. It's obviously disappointing not to get Swifts but I am delighted that all the boxes are occupied by House Sparrows.
A fascinating article published today by British Birds about the work of Denis Summers-Smith on House Sparrows. It perhaps serves as a reminder of the importance of recording the commoner, more "boring" species.
An Isabelline Wheatear may provide a "high five" tick, but an increase in colony numbers of a local Passer domesticus population should be no less cause for celebration.
I get up to 25 visiting the feeders in my garden in Northern Moor. They are also collecting nesting material and seem very keen on the sheeps' wool which I put out for them. There seems to be a fair bit of "sparrow arguments", pecking and chasing each other about going on over the last couple of weeks too.
Alan Warford said
Mon Apr 5 2:53 PM, 2010
House Sparrows in my Bolton garden were in slow decline till last year but they had a good breeding season in 2009. after declining to about 10 birds they recovered to 25+ and now number roughly 20.
Oscar Coutts said
Mon Apr 5 12:04 PM, 2010
Thanks for the advise Henry I do keep the feeders spotlessly clean and give the best food, unfortunatly I cant put up the terrace nest box as i live in a middle terrace house and all the wood has been replaced with PVC by the council so I cant fix any box to it. I just hope the Sparrows dont decline,as I helped to get them through the rough winter.
Henry Cook said
Sun Apr 4 6:31 PM, 2010
Hi Oscar. I used to get a flock of about 10 in my garden daily but that dwindled over the last few years and now a House Sparrow is a garden rarity now sadly. There are several theories why the house sparrow is declining, and it is probably a combination of all the theories that are causing the decline.
Simple things to help include: Providing nest sites (keeping that small hole in your loft open or buying/making a sparrow terrace nest box and errecting it onto the side of the house) Safely sited supplementary feeding (increasing the amount of decent quality seed and nuts you put out within a few meters range of cover for escape from predators) And finally, keeping feeders and regular perching areas clean to avoid disease and parasites. These things should help boost producivity of your local population. Thanks. Henry.
Oscar Coutts said
Sun Apr 4 6:18 PM, 2010
Although Im fairley new to the bird scean ,I read that House Sparrows are in decline.
I have a group of 35+ visit my garden every day,
Do any one else have a bigger flock,or have had and seen a decline.
As I want to protect this flock what is the best way of going about it,I feed them every day and dont want to lose them.
Around 3 years ago I decided to build Swift boxes into the gable end of our house. I started with 4 boxes and obtained a Swift call player off Louise Bentley (the Swift lady) and played it morning and evening hopefully to attract them. They occasionally flew over the house but unfortunately they didn't show any interest.
In the first year we had a pair of House Sparrows move into one of the boxes. Last year I built in another three boxes although no Swifts again a second pair of House Sparrows moved in.
This year we have Sparrows in every box and three pairs have managed to find their way into our roof space. To have 10 pairs breeding is fantastic as prior to installing the boxes we never had a Sparrow in our garden or even heard them calling.
I collected a large bag of dead grass and put it into a Cotoneaster in the garden where they like to congregate. It has been brilliant watching them take all the nesting material in. It's obviously disappointing not to get Swifts but I am delighted that all the boxes are occupied by House Sparrows.
I have attached some photos.
An Isabelline Wheatear may provide a "high five" tick, but an increase in colony numbers of a local Passer domesticus population should be no less cause for celebration.
http://britishbirds.co.uk/article/bb-eye-swansong-lifetime-sparrows/
The BTO House Sparrow Survey Report (BTO Research report 599) is now freely available online here:
http://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/u23/downloads/publications/papers/rr599.pdf
Cheers, Steve
I just hope the Sparrows dont decline,as I helped to get them through the rough winter.
There are several theories why the house sparrow is declining, and it is probably a combination of all the theories that are causing the decline.
Simple things to help include:
Providing nest sites (keeping that small hole in your loft open or buying/making a sparrow terrace nest box and errecting it onto the side of the house)
Safely sited supplementary feeding (increasing the amount of decent quality seed and nuts you put out within a few meters range of cover for escape from predators)
And finally, keeping feeders and regular perching areas clean to avoid disease and parasites. These things should help boost producivity of your local population.
Thanks. Henry.