This week I have been treated to regular shows of performing House Sparrows outside the visitor centre – something I had never expected to see at Fairburn Ings! I love watching the Tree Sparrows we regularly see around here, and I never, ever, get used to the rich chestnut colour of their caps. But it’s fantastic to see House Sparrows here, as they are really struggling in the UK (a recent estimate suggested a decline of 71 per cent between 1977 and 2008), in both rural and urban areas. It’s such a shame that a bird so common a few years ago has been struggling so much.
I was made aware of the struggle of House Sparrows by the RSPB’s Step up for Nature campaign, which is an amazing campaign aimed at increasing the biodiversity of the UK by 2020. Small steps really can make a huge difference – if lots of people take part. One way to help nature is to put a Good Natured Gift on your Christmas list (I know I will) – create a habitat for bumblebees, plant native saplings, or restore an area of heathland; it’s so easy to help.
I have also been seeing rather more of our sparrows than I normally would, having spent time with our Rangers cleaning and disinfecting our feeder areas. Greenfinch disease can easily spread between birds through unhygienic feeding areas, and we’ve been having a real push at getting all our feeding areas cleaned (one to go, but this will be cleaned next week). If you have feeders at home, please remember that contaminated seed shouldn’t then be put back into cleaned feeders, so it’s best to wait until your feeders are running low before giving them a clean. I’ve enjoyed seeing the birds flock in to feed as soon as the feeders are hung up again! One pheasant this morning was almost prodding me in the leg to speed me up. It’s fantastic to get involved in looking after our birds, as I spend so much time watching them and they really brighten up the day, so it’s nice to feel you’re returning the favour. I had a wonderful break the other day, when I managed to watch a Great Spotted Woodpecker devouring a bird cake for around fifteen minutes within an arm’s reach. So I’m incredibly grateful to all the garden birds this week, and please don’t let me forget it!
Georgina Collins