In message , Tumbleweed
writes

It hasnt been an especilaly hard winter by historical standards, just hard
compared to the last few years. In addition to structural changes in the
countryside (less stuff lying around in fields after harvest, fewer nesting
sites in suburbia) ISTR that if you do the maths, the 65,000 or so pairs of
sparrow hawks there are now, will eat at least 10 million sparrows every
year. 20 years ago or so I think the number of sparrow hawks was maybe 10%
of what it is now?

There seem to be plenty of sparrows round here (suburb of Reading)
including a pair nesting under my tiles. One of my neighbours has a
terraced nestbox for several pairs of sparrows. Mostly you don't see
them so much as hear them, when you walk past a really noisy bush.

The RSPB say goldfinches mainly eat niger seeds from garden bird
feeders; my neighbours say they go round in a flock stripping garden
plants bare of seeds then move on to the next garden.

Nothing is taking the seeds or peanuts from my feeders although there
are plenty of birds about - I think people must be putting out more food
than they can eat.

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Sue ]