House Sparrows

We can get a couple of dozen in the front garden but like yours they do not come into the back garden which does not have bushes etc. They prefer to hide under the bushes and then just pop out for a quick snack. They do though like the front garden feeders and compete with goldfinch on them.

Odd that. Sometimes I watch from bedroom window but the spuggies don't seem to visit anyone's garden to eat bar mine, have to assume these others don't put out what I do. A few years ago they prefered peanuts but now it's level pegging with peanuts, fat balls and either sfh or black sunflower seeds, they like the odd brioche roll as well.

I'll look on BTO and see if they have written any books on them or research papers, be interesting to see how they act in other parts of country. Reason they prefer front garden is there is plenty of cover where feeders are unlike in back although there is cover it isn't as close.

Thanks for replying!

We had one pair in the garden today and that is the first record since the 17th. Jan, exactly a month ago. Even on the 9th. Feb when we had 20 species that day, House Sparrow wasn't one of them. 

Regards Pete

This species never lets me down it comes every day in sometimes in dozens and almost always to the front garden, there it has lots of protection from the big bad Sparrowhawk and the cats with a high and thick privet hedge running at the front from boundary to boundary, with an ivy clad fence between myself and next door, the driveway has an abundance of tall shrubs so the dear Sparrows must be in seventh heaven!  Today as an example there must be at least two dozen either on the nut, seed or fat ball feeders, they don't seem to have a favourite food they just hammer away and argue with another while eating as much as possible before it gets dark, they normally leave no later than 16:00 this time of year, oddly today I was up at 07:10 but they didn't arrive till 08:30 not sure what time they normally arrive as I don't usually arise till midday.

The nut feeder is furthest away from me in the cherry tree, the seed feeder and the fat ball feeder are alongside each other right next to the front window in the hypericum shrub, all three feeders can be clearly seen from my armchair, don't even need my bins to view their activity. I don't have to venture outside and get chilled to the bone, I am in a heated room with plenty of drinks etc at hand

I realise how lucky I am to have a large number of this species visit every day as long as I keep filling the feeders they come, sometimes I've had as many as five dozen in years gone by. I've been told that Lincoln rarely see any.

Daresay most birdwatchers wouldn't give them a second glimpse but I love seeing them each day eating, squabbling among themselves and travelling through the hedge then as quick as anything they fly to the hawthorn hedge across road, but not to eat as there aren't any feeders, probably go and have a natter and say him at number forty is a miserable old so and so lol.

I watch their antics for hours on end and never tire of seeing them!

John aka Max 

PS: there isn't another bird species in either front or back garden at present and the feeders and full!!