Forgot to add address. One of those days.
--- Begin Message ---
|
To: |
crompton <> |
|
Subject: |
sparrows |
|
From: |
brian fleming <> |
|
Date: |
Sun, 26 Feb 2006 21:09:42 +1100 |
crompton wrote:
Hi all , Has anybody noted the decrease in Sparrow numbers over the
last 15 years.The backyard of my southern sydney home used to team
with them,now they are no where to be seen. Any thoughts?
regards G.Crompton
Recent British bird reports indicate that severe decline there in both
House and Tree Sparrows is mainly caused by loss of insects (partly
caused by loss of weed plants).
Sparrows feed their young almost entirely on insects for first week of
life, and without this they die. There is also the shortage of nesting
sites now that buildings are either built without ledges or crevices, or
have them netted off to deter the feral Pigeons.
In London in 1990 we saw no Sparrows, even in Hyde Park, and saw few
out in the countryside either. Now that Australian city backyards are
built over, and gardens reduced to small fringes of ornamental Box and
Iceberg roses, it's no wonder we don't see Sparrows nearly as much in
cities as we did. Ultra-violet insect traps can't help either. Local
supermarket car-park still seems to have a healthy population though,
and last time I was at the State Library in Melbourne I saw that a
couple of nests had been successfully built on the carved capitals
despite bird netting - they had found little gaps and got in with twigs
and grass just the same.
There are no Sparrows in our untidy, unsprayed backyard either.
Anthea Fleming
Ivanhoe, Vic.
--- End Message ---
|
