When we first moved into our house, nearly seven years ago now, the only birds we saw here were jackdaws, magpies, pigeons and seagulls. All lovely birds. But we really missed the smaller birds that used to frequent our previous garden.
Despite setting up a bird table and keeping it well stocked, it took several years before we finally managed to attract smaller birds into the garden. But then, a couple of summer's ago, these little fellows, House Sparrows, suddenly arrived en masse in our garden. Not only did they feed from our bird feeders and enjoy the water from our bird-bath, they also nested in our privet hedge. And last summer, the colony of house sparrows expanded again when the little birds nested for a second time in our hedge. Now, our garden is abuzz with the birds and their constant chattering from our hedge is a real joy to behold :) All great news given the population of these precious little creatures are in decline nationally.
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| House Sparrow Atop Our Garden Birdfeeder |
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| House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) |
To further encourage the House Sparrows and retain them as residents in our garden, we have also installed a communal nesting box on our house. More news on the hopeful success of this if and when it happens...