Sparrows

Today in the local area the RSPB opened its newest reserve. While it is not exactly on my doorstep, it is close enough that I should be able to visit it on a regular basis. It is close to the national reserve at Tees Mouth so it will provide an important location for migrating birds. I am looking forward to going for a visit myself.

I had wanted to go and visit one of the local reserves today, but I had other chores to do and had to get them done first. Now it looks as though the weather will be against me for the next few days. So I will have to see if it is just too wet to get out. At the very least I can watch the birds in my back yard.

It was funny but in a street near my hovel, there is an old chap that I frequently talk to. Often about wildlife, and he was asking if I had seen any sparrows. I had as I have them regularly in my yard and they were here today too. But, his asking shows that even ordinary folks are noticing the loss of these once common birds. This is something that the RSPB are investigating and loss of habitat, lack of food because of climate change, are part of the reasons plus there are other as yet undetermined factors.

It is funny but I had someone tell me that I was wasting my time feeding the birds if the majority of my avian visitors were sparrows. But if I had not been feeding them I would not have the delight of seeing them. Nor would I have my regular Blackbird or Robin too. Talking of my Blackbird, the other day I was filming him when a young rival came into his territory. My regular Blackbird saw him off but it was amusing to see the young bird trying to court it mate.

Also talking of the bird visitors, I also have regular visits from a pair of Collard Doves that visit to feed. However, they stopped coming for a while, but have returned. One looks in fine new fresh plumage, but the other looks tatty. At first I thought it had suffered from nearly being caught by a predator. Then by looking carefully I saw that it was just moulting. It seems that one had moulted and re-feathered then the other was going through the moult. Now, I don’t know if this is common but it is amazing that they should re-feather in sequence like this. Perhaps it helps the pair stay feed so that one can feed the other? I just don’t know. It just shows that there is always more to learn.