Sparrow haven

[Jenny]

For days I've been wondering why - the deer having departed for the high ground - my dog has been getting up and trying to get into my built-in wardrobe at night and barking madly on occasions at the gable ends of the house in the day time. I knew I had a sparrow's nest at one corner of the house, but today - in a brave attempt (bad on ladders)to clean out gutters (gales have brought loads of leaves down) - I found two more nests, both with young in. They've got in behind the fascia and look dead cosy! The gutters can wait!

[optrex]

You lucky thing Jenny, I love sparows. I occasionaly get 1 pair visiting my garden, but would love more. Project for later in the year is a sparrow nest box as being on a new estate with plasic facia boards there is not much opportunity to nest. I've also pulled out 2 overflow pipes that camre from a now dis-used loft tank, so I have 2 20mm holes with direct access to the loft.

Fingers crossed for next year for me and some sparrows.

[Jenny]

Best of luck Optrex, I'm a sucker for sparrows, too! I've got plastic fascias, but they've gone in via the hole at the bottom of the plastic thingummies they put at the end of the roof and behind the fascia that way! Clever wee things! But I'll put up a sparrow terrace as well next year (now I have a new shed!)

I'm debating a tawny owl box, as we have a pair around here and one of them sits on a branch outside my bedroom window frequently - it's so easy to see them now with very little darkness and my garden (no doubt due to seed spillage) is extremely popular with wee furry things!

[Boater]

Hello Jenny, I know a number of people who ask "where have all the sparrows gone". Well, they are in my garden. I'm convinced that we have so many sparrows nesting and feeding in our small close because the house builder hung tiles on the facias both back and front. This left a nice ledge at the top and with slipping tiles, access to nest holes. We must have at least half a dozen sparrow nesting in our house alone. The sparrow chatter in our close is very noisy sometimes.

[Jenny]

Hi, Boater, sorry about delayed reply but am suffering from advent of Scottish school holidays having started and a new temp job! I am so glad you've got loads of sparrows and am convinced that part of the reason we are seeing a decline in sparrows (apart from the loss of greenfield sites) in built up areas is building design. It's all very well having an environmentally friendly energy saving property if you don't design features into it that preserve species!

Having said that, I'm a total hypocrite because I'm trying to get rid of the mice that have moved in. Although, judging from the sounds that got my 85 year old Mum out of bed at 4am to come and get me, something larger has moved in - sounded suspiciously like hedgehogs but they will have to be deterred shortly as the row was indescrible!

You mentioned the racket of the sparrows - noisy I think is a polite way of putting it!! But then I am not at my best at 4am when (as it's almost broad daylight up here this time of the year) the dawn chorus is well going and the sparrow chicks are hungry! One second brood has fledged yesterday - this is that of previous years successful parents in the old nest. Think new nest at back door lot will be a couple of weeks behind.

[Kerry L]

Hi everyone
My neighbour informed me that we have sparrows nesting by our chimney. The house is tiled halfway down the walls to the front and side, and they have found a little cosy hiding place in the cool (North east facing). Unfortunately the magpies had also discovered the nesting site, and apparently laid in wait for the babies to emerge. My neighbour said the magpie got one, but the rest emerged OK. Magpies are on the increase here again, we were lucky the numbers had declined in the past few years, but this year they have been a right pain in the b**!
I had been thinking of getting a terrace for the sparrows - but they have found their own des res spot! The sparrow chatter obviously isn't a problem - I didn't hear them at all, and the children's bedrooms are that side - a bomb could go off and they wouldn't hear it!
Regards, Kerry

[Jenny]

Hi, All,,
Back door sparrows have successfully fledged SIX babies! I put this partly down to the efforts of dog to keep off the seagulls who were only too aware of the family's presence and were eagerly awaiting the exit from the nest. All doing well and have put up two roosts in the holly - more to deter dog than sea gulls! - for them to hide in -especially as cats on prowl along wall the babies sit on. (see comment on cats for a success!!). Am so pleased about the sparrows - they're so entertaining and with numbers dropping we have to do something.

[georgie]

Hello Jenny et al.

I"m convinced that the decline of sparrows is mainly due to the design of modern buildings.

We were involved in the sparrow survey that BTO organised a while back, and basically this involved tramping around a square (I can't remember the size but it seemed a big area...) of your local patch and recording the sparrows seen.

Well, here in deepest urban York, the difference in numbers of sparrows seen from street to street was incredible. Usually, there were large numbers seen in streets with Victorian terraces or older houses, but very few in the modern estates.

On a personal note, we tried a sparrow terrace nest box and we only ever had a great tit nesting in it. Although I must say I don't really like birds nesting in the garden - it IS exciting but it is also so stressful watching them and hoping they succeed....

[Jenny]

Think you've got a good point there, Georgie; older houses also tend to have more established gardens (as opposed to the modern estate - don't mean the posh ones) so more food variety and safe places to nest. My house is modern (circa 1996/7) but being timber-framed, you get movement, not to mention wind loosening the caps on roof end, and gaps appear at convenient times for nests! It's quite a bit of extra work to ensure nothing's trapped before battening down for winter. The modern trends for gardens don't do a lot on the whole for wildlife though I can understand if people have a small garden they don't want to have weeds and trees in the way. I feel strongly that, with the energy efficiency kick that's coming in, new build should also include space for wildlife. Had big row recently with my Council allowing planning permission to remove four oaks (about 25/30' in height but windswept) to make room for three houses and NOT specify native plants to be put in - but I did get them to force builder to plant shrubs and trees and they must be replaced if initial planting fails. Because this development is such a personal pain for me, I've started planting laurels (for a quick block and great for shyer species) and alder - longer term. I've got oak and beech (copper) saplings (only a foot high) being nurtured to go in in future, when my two big sycamores have to come down - anyone wanting sycamore seedlings, please let me know!!!

Next task is the mixed hedge - why do modern estates have to have fences after a while? The mixed hedge is great for colour, diversity - deterring unwanted visitors and encouraging wildlife!

Gosh, I'm ranting. Better shut up now!

[Jabber]

I live on a estate which is only 25 years old and and none of the houses have anywhere for house-sparrows to nest. I erected a sparrrow terrace last year in the spring but have had no takers. I know there are spadgers about because large colonies live within 1/2 mile from my house and I occasionally get visits from fledgelings. I recently read in Chris Packhams 'Backyard nature reserve' that the males like a perch outside the nesting hole so they can shout at the world and wondered if I attached some perches whether it would make a difference to getting them to move in. :confused:

[Jenny]

Jabber, try anything! When I lived in Leeds no-one was seriously feeding the birds properly - they were so envious of the birds I got they started asking and we ended up in our small cul de sac withover 30 species. If you've children, tie up with school on the environmental bit - hate the plitical overtones of this but getting children involved means parents under pressure and that can change attitudes. You'd be surprised how many young visitors here get turned round by talking about eagles when they've come to see Balamory - pity about some parents, though!!:)

Try putting in one substantial shrub (my sparrows have taken to a new alder like mad - lots of cover but also good visibility) and get some display points up. If you have room and finances, even an artifical arch works.

Don't know if you have soil/space dosh for a substantial holly but my sparrows love mine - cats can't get them/lots of cover. I've put roosts inside it (at great pain:rolleyes: ) and with our wild gales it's a real haven for lots of wildlife.

Good luck!

[Jabber]

Thanks Jenny, I have been working on my little space since I moved in so loads of mature stuff, hawthorns, wild cherry, cotoneasters, firethorns lots of berry producing plants and lots of wild flowers, knapweed, oxe-eye daisy etc a little pond as well that has at least 6 resident frogs.
Just this week I have seen a group of 5 sparrows on two occasions feeding on the fat balls so maybe next year I might get a pair to use my sparrow terrace.

:D

[Jenny]

That's great Jabber and best of luck - if only more people put the effort in. I envy you your frogs!.

Bet you're the envy of your neighbours!

[Jabber]

If you want frogs then the smallest of ponds will attract them, as long as you put some plants in and make sure there is a way in and out you will have no problem attracting different types of wildlife. My own pond is preformed plastic and holds about 40-60 gallons, quite small really but the frogs arrived within 12 months of installation, this year the pond is 3 years old and I have had dragonflies for the first time (well pleased)