1938 - The Vasculum

15
TREE SPARROWS IN SUNDERLAND.
D. B. BLACKBURN.
On October 24th, when out for a walk, my attention was caught
by an unusually musical twittering in the trees. I looked up to see a
collection of small birds resembling House-Sparrows: but the note was such
as no House-Sparrow ever produced. The birds' behaviour was also very unsparrow-like.
As I watched them at closer quarters I had no difficulty in
recognising them-they were Tree-Sparrows.
While in the trees they appeared to be light grey birds, as only
their undersides were visible. They pecked at the twigs in a manner
resembling that of Tits, not being at all particular at what angle they found
themselves. About thirty or forty of them flew to the ground and settled
among the grass and thistles. Their flight was undulating and they hovered
before settling, staying poised with rapidly beating wings for a few seconds.
Several hung on to some dead thistles in the manner of a Siskin. They kept
rising from the ground, tossing themselves into the air, chasing each other,
then gently fluttering to the ground again, where they diligently searched for
something. They all seemed to be on very good terms with one another,
which is not always the case with a collection of House-Sparrows, who are
very much inclined to quarrel.
On closer inspection I noted their russet-brown heads and small
black bibs and white collars. Their cheeks were dull white and their breasts
light grey and they had two white bars on their wings. Their legs seemed a
little longer and thinner than those of House-Sparrows. All the members of
the flock looked alike, for among Tree-Sparrows there is no difference
between the plumage of the cock and the hen. In this they differ from the
House-Sparrows.
The points that struck me most were their musical notes, almost
amounting to song, and their graceful and dainty ways as compared with the
rather clumsy and unmusical House-Sparrow.