The Beacon January 2012 - Beacon Parish of Ditchling, Streat ...

Nature NotesI recently had a discussion with some experienced birders as to the state of theHouse Sparrow population locally. It appears that in some country areas they arenumerous whereas in more built up places very scarce. Out here in the stickswith a large grain store close by my garden I often get a couple of dozen feedingon the food I put out for what are usually but quite wrongly considered to bemore desirable species. Sparrows breed in roofs of houses and barns rearing twoor even three broods during the summer. The young in the nest and recentlyfledged require insect food so just feeding them with grain will not do. It issomething of a mystery why they are so patchy in distribution.It has been suggested that modern houses have no cavities to allow them intospaces under the eaves where traditionally they nested. Years ago though I canremember them building their untidy nests of grass and straw lined withfeathers in Beech hedges or thorn trees so unless modern Sparrows have lost theinstinctive skill to build such nests why are they in decline? Another site for nestsis the creeper on the walls of houses where a colony can be very successful. Inplaces an effort has been made to provide nest boxes for them, in rows, toaccommodate a colony. I hear some success has been achieved but in somecases only the end ones have been occupied.Another suggestion as to their decline in numbers is predation. With a name likeSparrowhawk it would suggest that Sparrows would be the main prey as they areindeed chunky birds up to thirty grams in weight but observations in the gardenfound that other species just as desirable. We know that Crows and Magpiespredate nests eating eggs and nestlings but unlike most birds that build opennests in hedgerows, the ones in buildings should be safer.In the book “Birds Britannica” that traces birds and human association it tells ofhow in Victorian times hundreds were regularly caught as food for countrypeople when sparrow pie was a regular on the menu. They were caught in largenets as they roosted in evergreen hedges in winter. Two people would hold alarge net along the hedge just after dusk while others on the opposite side wouldbeat the bushes to flush the birds out. There is a photograph of many sparrowscaught in a net in this way. This was common and widespread practice andseemingly did not affect the numbers of House Sparrows there were. In manyparishes “Sparrow Clubs” were a way boys could earn money when a bounty waspaid on each as they were such pests in corn growing areas when large flockscould decimate a cereal crop just approaching harvest. With everyone againstthem they were still numerous but now as we try to protect them their numbersdwindle. Incredible!Reg Lanaway26