The sparrows are back. Strange, we have a garden-full of greenfinches,
yet we're excited by the return of the sparrows. They've been missing
from our garden for at least three years ... although there were always
good populations on the hilltop, less that quarter mile away. There are
several Song thrushes up the hill that are rare at our end.

Earlier this spring we have also been visited by our first ever gold
finches and chaffinches! Strange!

There's always a good selection of bird food in our garden.
--

In article , Joe
wrote:

The sparrows are back. Strange, we have a garden-full of greenfinches,
yet we're excited by the return of the sparrows. They've been missing
from our garden for at least three years ... although there were always
good populations on the hilltop, less that quarter mile away. There are
several Song thrushes up the hill that are rare at our end.

This is clearly where mine have gone! Oddly enough my South London
garden has normally had lots of sparrows - mainly I think because of
some impenetrable shrubs that I should have thinned but have left
untrimmed for their benefit.

But a couple of months ago they either left or, I fear, may have been
eaten by a very dedicated large dark Persian cat.

Lazarus

--
Remover the rock from the email address

In article , Joe
writes
The sparrows are back.

Same here.
Not in great numbers but 'noticeably"

Of concern, however, is the lack of house martins. We had a bumper year
in 2000 with twelve nests. Since then it has declined every year and
this year we seem to have only one pair ((((
Hope some stragglers will arrive later.
--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms
at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see

For finches try planting teasel

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

martin wrote:

On Mon, 17 May 2004 02:18:41 +0100, Joe
wrote:



There's always a good selection of bird food in our garden.


The cats really appreciate it :-)

The sparrows are back in our garden too.
In the place where I keep my boat, we have three herons and a
cormorant in residence plus the usual grebes and coots.

Are these old coots?

-
Al

On Tue, 18 May 2004 09:29:35 +0200, The Hoopeses
wrote:



martin wrote:

On Mon, 17 May 2004 02:18:41 +0100, Joe
wrote:



There's always a good selection of bird food in our garden.


The cats really appreciate it :-)

The sparrows are back in our garden too.
In the place where I keep my boat, we have three herons and a
cormorant in residence plus the usual grebes and coots.

Are these old coots?

the bald headed variety?

What would Dot say?

martin wrote:
On Tue, 18 May 2004 09:29:35 +0200, The Hoopeses
wrote:



martin wrote:


On Mon, 17 May 2004 02:18:41 +0100, Joe
wrote:

There's always a good selection of bird food in our garden.


The cats really appreciate it :-)

The sparrows are back in our garden too.
In the place where I keep my boat, we have three herons and a
cormorant in residence plus the usual grebes and coots.

Are these old coots?


the bald headed variety?

What would Dot say?

She'd ask you to refrain from referring to Jim in that manner.

-
Al

On Tue, 18 May 2004 15:20:41 +0200, The Hoopeses
wrote:



martin wrote:
On Tue, 18 May 2004 09:29:35 +0200, The Hoopeses
wrote:



martin wrote:


On Mon, 17 May 2004 02:18:41 +0100, Joe
wrote:

There's always a good selection of bird food in our garden.


The cats really appreciate it :-)

The sparrows are back in our garden too.
In the place where I keep my boat, we have three herons and a
cormorant in residence plus the usual grebes and coots.

Are these old coots?


the bald headed variety?

What would Dot say?

She'd ask you to refrain from referring to Jim in that manner.

I'll have a large sherry

martin wrote:
On Tue, 18 May 2004 15:20:41 +0200, The Hoopeses
wrote:



martin wrote:

On Tue, 18 May 2004 09:29:35 +0200, The Hoopeses
wrote:



martin wrote:



On Mon, 17 May 2004 02:18:41 +0100, Joe
wrote:


There's always a good selection of bird food in our garden.


The cats really appreciate it :-)

The sparrows are back in our garden too.
In the place where I keep my boat, we have three herons and a
cormorant in residence plus the usual grebes and coots.

Are these old coots?


the bald headed variety?

What would Dot say?

She'd ask you to refrain from referring to Jim in that manner.


I'll have a large sherry

Would a series of small ones do?

-
Al

On Tue, 18 May 2004 21:57:21 +0200, The Hoopeses
wrote:

What would Dot say?

She'd ask you to refrain from referring to Jim in that manner.


I'll have a large sherry

Would a series of small ones do?

for the sparrows perhaps.