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Sparrow Being a Vandal

februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
in Wildlife gardening
I've just been watching the birds out of the back bedroom window and saw a sparrow pecking at the leaves on one of my plum trees and throwing the bits on the ground. It didn't pick any of the bits up so it just seems like mindless vandalism. Is there any particular reason for it doing this because it didn't seem to serve any purpose!

Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Could be it's just going after aphids or some other pest in a very determined way... 
  • FlyDragonFlyDragon Posts: 834
    It might be eating insects on the leaf, sparrows love aphids, they eat them off my roses. 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    "Mindless vandalism" :D
    I imagine it might have been going for bugs in the leaves.
    You could apply for an anti-social behaviour order.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    We have a bit of the garden that's known as the 'naughty sparrow corner'. Any plant left there gets picked to bits by sparrows for no good reason that I can work out. I think young sparrows get dumped there to practice sparrow skills while their parents go and find food. Maybe they need to learn beak dexterity or build up jaw strength or something but it does seem pretty mindless.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    Eating aphids sounds good to me 🙂

    @Fire if it's eating bugs I'll hold off on the ASBO for now :D

    @wild edges I love the naughty sparrow corner!


  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    Oh I want one,... 😊 hardly see any birds despite having a garden with tempting wildlife planting. The only wildlife I seem to attract are the creepy crawly sort  vine weevils being one. 😠
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    @K67 Earlier in the year it was lots of blue tits and now the sparrows are the main visitors with blackbirds a close second (pigeons don't count :D). I saw a couple of goldfinches on the bird feeder a few weeks ago and almost burst with excitement! Haven't seen them since though :( 

    I like interesting creepy crawlies but I prefer my heucheras!
  • SuesynSuesyn Posts: 664
    I love watching the sparrows pecking away at the twine on my climbing plants but I don't appreciate having to keep retrying in the climbers so I now have an old fat ball cage with used twine tied to it. Hours of entertainment for me and the sparrows. 
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    @februarysgirl that's bordering on torture... blue tits gold finches.......😣😣
    Did have a couple of blackbirds and pigeons though🤗
    Heucheras never survived the evil weevil.
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    @Suesyn That sounds like a really great idea, I might try that!

    @K67 Blue tits are pretty common around here but goldfinches you don't get much of. Unfortunately I didn't have my wildlife camera set up the day with the goldfinches so completely missed capturing them on video 😭 We've got a spinney at the end of our road so I'm certain there must be more diversity to be had, it's just a question of tempting them into the garden!

    Heuchera rust has got me a few times but so far no weevils 🤞

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