We have loads of dunnocks and house sparrows. I think people often confuse the female sparrows with dunnocks, but the latter are quite different in shape and markings. Pinkish/red legs - yes Sparrows tend to have a go at yellow crocus too, although I've never had any problems with them eating anything other than the bird food. I don't grow the bright yellow crocus, but they've never touched the yellow polyanthus that I have.
I haven't seen tree sparrows in a long time, unfortunately.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
No way are they Dunnocks although we do have a few of them. The 30 sparrows congregate all day in the hedge/Pyracantha but they could well be lodgers at night Thanks for the info about sweet peas the Missus has only just planted a couple of rows
We have a large group of these in our area as well and as much as I love them, they are destructive little things as mentioned above. I had plans for a amelanchier in our front garden but whilst it was standing there, they stripped most of the buds. They have already taken out much of my viburnum lantana and completely stripped the berberis which makes up their favourite defense from the local cats. They have stripped alot of the flaky bark from my climbing hydrangea for nesting material which is fine but nipping off the flower buds is less welcome. As I write this I can see a group of them nipping whats left of the buds on the viburnum and spitting them out almost instantly. I wish they were like the blackbirds that are nesting in the climbing hydrangea, they fly in and out and cause absolutely no trouble.
... not really garden birds, populations are small.
We’re in a village on the edge of a city with some old oak woodland around us … plus marshland close by. We’ve seen a few tree sparrows around the place from time to time … when I lived on a smallholding we certainly had treesparrows visiting the garden in the winter, as well as housesparrows.
“… If you visit areas with overgrown well-developed hedgerows that feature mature trees, then take the time to look for tree sparrows. Whilst they have become scarce, small numbers are spread widely across Norfolk. If you feed birds in a rural garden then look for this species when we have hard frosts or snow, this forces individuals to move from their normal areas and they do regularly turn up at feeders in these conditions. You may be surprised to find they are closer to home than you realised….” https://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife-in-norfolk/species-explorer/birds/tree-sparrow
😊
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
We have all the right conditions/habitat for tree sparrows round here @Dovefromabove, but I've not seen one for a long time, as I said. I might try and look more closely when I'm out. The house sparrows congregate in very large numbers in the hedgerows, especially up at the farm, and it's always lovely to see them. Regular visitors in the garden too. Always full of cheek
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Last year they plucked the primrose flowers very early but this year have only started to do so. Luckily I had already managed to gather enough for primrose wine.
Posts
https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2018/07/house-sparrow-tree-sparrow/
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Sparrows tend to have a go at yellow crocus too, although I've never had any problems with them eating anything other than the bird food. I don't grow the bright yellow crocus, but they've never touched the yellow polyanthus that I have.
I haven't seen tree sparrows in a long time, unfortunately.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
As I write this I can see a group of them nipping whats left of the buds on the viburnum and spitting them out almost instantly. I wish they were like the blackbirds that are nesting in the climbing hydrangea, they fly in and out and cause absolutely no trouble.
We’re in a village on the edge of a city with some old oak woodland around us … plus marshland close by. We’ve seen a few tree sparrows around the place from time to time … when I lived on a smallholding we certainly had treesparrows visiting the garden in the winter, as well as housesparrows.
“… If you visit areas with overgrown well-developed hedgerows that feature mature trees, then take the time to look for tree sparrows. Whilst they have become scarce, small numbers are spread widely across Norfolk. If you feed birds in a rural garden then look for this species when we have hard frosts or snow, this forces individuals to move from their normal areas and they do regularly turn up at feeders in these conditions. You may be surprised to find they are closer to home than you realised….”
https://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife-in-norfolk/species-explorer/birds/tree-sparrow
😊
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
The house sparrows congregate in very large numbers in the hedgerows, especially up at the farm, and it's always lovely to see them. Regular visitors in the garden too. Always full of cheek
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...