I rather regret the disappearance of the Song Thrush. I enjoyed
its song (more soprano than the Blackbird, with much repetition of
phrases) and its zeal for snail removal.
I noticed that they began to decline when snail-killer was issued
mixed with fertilizer. I think this encouraged heavier use and it
certainly poisoned Song Thrushes (it was also poisonous to dogs and I
don't think that formulation is now available).
Droughts and consequent snail shortages didn't help. The recent
big drought for over 10 years, with increasingly severe water
restrictions, meant that earthworms were also very hard to come by for a
long time. Even Magpies found it hard to dig in the baked ground. I
believe that Song Thrushes are still occasionally seen in the Botanic
Gardens.
The disappearance of large European-style gardens and their
replacement with barren hard surfaces hasn't helped. Have you noticed
how many front lawns have been converted to parking areas? Let alone the
proliferation of flats, units and double occupancy of suburban blocks.
And I haven't said anything about climate change either. How many other
'common' species will we lose in the next few years?
Back to Tree Sparrows. They used to be quite common locally in
Ivanhoe. They nested in the roof of a neighbour's decrepit tin-shed
garage. New occupants pulled the garage down and carefully blocked
possum access to the house with repairs to the tiled roof. No more
Tree Sparrows. House Sparrows persisted where fowls and rabbits were
kept, but they are now very seldom seen in local gardens. They persist
around shopping centres, but I no longer see them at the railway
station, where both species used to nest in the stanchions, carrying
twigs and papers into the crannies. Will we be asking in ten years time
where are all the House Sparrows?
When we visited London in 2000, we were surprised by the absence of
House Sparrows. We were told it was because modern buildings offer no
crannies or ledges for their nests, and the ornamental cornices, ledges
and column capitals on older buildings were all screened off with fine
netting. Not many Feral Pigeons there either.
Anthea Fleming
On 29/12/2013 7:38 PM, Sonja Ross wrote:
Re the Song Thrush decline, another factor I've heard suggested, was the drop
in the number of snails when the long drought reduced the amount of watering we
could do in Melbourne. Unfortunately the snails seem to have bounced back,
but not the Thrush!
Sonja
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