Sparrows

[maggiebee]

Wonderful sight sitting with a cuppa and looking out the window. Mum & dad sparrow being driven mad by 4 permanently open beaks wanting food! Hope Milly the neighbour's cat is far away today!

[rosyposy]

yes indeed maggiebee, a wonderful sight. Two weeks ago I was sitting in the garden at 6.30am (as usual) and SIX baby starlings appeared with one demented parent, I watched them for a while then sidled past them (they weren't concerned at all) to get my camera but when I came back the birds had flown! :0( Needless to say my camera is in my dressing gown pocket now but I haven't seen them again. I also have a tame thrush who visits every morning for breakfast as soon as I put my hand on the door handle. One of his feet is turned back to front unfortunately but he manages pretty well. -rosy

[Baldric]

Haven't seen any Sparrows for ages down here (N/Kent)

[Barmaid]

Our second lot of blackbirds have just fledged. There are 2 babies in our garden and 1 in each of the gardens either side of us. I am on permanent cat watch outside. This morning one of my moggies escaped and went after a baby. Mum and Dad let off the warning, I went after the cat and once I had chased her off, Dad started buzzing her like a maniac until she ran inside terrified.

I must get up and soak some more sultanas cos mum will be back soon demanding lunch!

[SlackAlice]

Baldric
thats because I've got them all here! They have all moved across river to the Essex flatlands.
All the fledglings are lined up on my garden fence with poor old Mum sparrows dashing back and forth from my feeders.
I get at least three serious sessions a day, early morning, early afternoon and late afternoon. Plus, in between breaks.

Costing me a fortune in feed.

[Ratty2E]

I have been invaded by what an only be described as a swarm of sparrows in the last few days. I have counted 10 on the bird table at any one time but they are busy whizzing all over the garden it's difficult to tell exactly how many there are. They are going to eat me out of house and home I topped up the bird table 3 times yesterday. I've not seen the blue tits yet this year though.

[maggiebee]

Ratty, got a birdbox full of young bluetits at my back door. Mum & dad very busy bringing food. They must be ready to fledge though. Mum won't come down if my back door is open so, if she is sitting above on a wire, I close the door to let her get on with it.

[pusskin]

Sparrows are very welcome arent they maggie. Their terrific.

Y/day, our next door neighbour said that he was having a cuppa in the kitchen over looking his garden, watching a Sparrow feeding a baby, and a Magpie flew and grabbed the baby and flew away. I was really choked up when I was told .

[Ratty2E]

Oh no pusskin, I have seen a few Magpies who seem to be eyeing up the young ones, but I thought that once the babies were out and about and as big as the parents they wouldn't be taken, I'm worried for them now. Hopefully the blue tits have yet to fledge Maggie and I'll be seeing and hearing them soon.

[pusskin]

Me too ratty, i thought they'd only take them out of the nestbox!!! TCH!

We have a baby robin sitting behind our dustbin outside the conservatory,
We only noticed to day when we saw 2 robin keep going over there with meal worm instead of flying off some where with their beaks loaded.
Its fully fledged but doubt it can fly and dont know how it got there.
Cant help keep looking out of the window and having a peek to see what happens next. What would you do?

[Chipchopper]

The once common and widespread sparrows and starlings have now become reduced to small localized pockets, but I did today see some starlings doing very well for themselves, when I stopped for a bite at a burger stand in the car park of a D I Y store.
They seemed happy to run between peoples feet, pecking at crumbs etc. A couple of juveniles sat on the corner of the picnic table just inches from my elbow!

[maggiebee]

Blackies from the hedge at the bottom of my garden have fledged, saw dad feeding his offspring. There are also a couple of juvenile starlings learning the ropes - great to see them again, first I've seen for a couple of years. Still waiting for blue tits to fledge, hope I haven't missed it.

[Chipchopper]

They all seem to be a bit late this year, Maggie
The good news is, there is plenty of grubs around for them to eat right now.

[hammerman]

Got lots of sparrows in my garden at home. Didn't realise that sparrows rarely venture any more than 500 yards from their birth place all their lives.

[murraymints]

Got zillions of sparrows...can't keep them going in feed ! Blackies love cheese and Apple !

[maggiebee]

Think my blue tits have fledged and I missed it - sob. No sign of adult birds for a couple of days now. Saw a rook/crow attacking a seagull this afternoon. Maybe straying too close to a nest?