Where have all the sparrows gone?

jaybie · #1 (**permalink**) 01-09-2009, 06:57 PM

Up until a couple of weeks ago I had to regularly refill the the feeder and replace the fat balls but over the past couple of weeks they remain untouched. I cleaned and replenished everything last weekend and not a single visitor.

There must be an explanation for this - any ideas

JohnB

Ollie · #2 (**permalink**) 01-09-2009, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaybie

Up until a couple of weeks ago I had to regularly refill the the feeder and replace the fat balls but over the past couple of weeks they remain untouched. I cleaned and replenished everything last weekend and not a single visitor.

There must be an explanation for this - any ideas

JohnB

They have all flown over to my garden as I've got record numbers at the moment.

2dogs2000 · #3 (**permalink**) 01-09-2009, 09:32 PM

At the moment we are feeding sparrows, 1 or two wood pigeons and 3 collared doves. All the others have disappeared. I believe it is to do with the amount of natural food available in the countryside. They will be back when they are hungry.

Phoebe · #4 (**permalink**) 01-09-2009, 09:39 PM

In my garden they are all feeding quite well even though I don't fill up the feeders as often. The nuts are being eaten by the Nuthatch

who seems very relaxed and even visits when I am sitting 6 feet away!

alan45 · #5 (**permalink**) 01-09-2009, 09:53 PM

No problem with them here at the south west of scotland
i counted 36 in and around the feeders in my garden yesterday
most of them where this years youngsters.im sure they will
be back when the food runs out elsewhere.
....Alan

ron1863 · #6 (**permalink**) 01-09-2009, 10:35 PM

We didn't see many until this year, I lost count at 33 this morning. They arrived as three or four families and it was fun watching the parents feed them, but they have all stayed and they are greedy little beggars.

Stinky Bob · #7 (**permalink**) 02-09-2009, 08:52 AM

Our ones have stopped invading and seeing of the house martins and are either maurading through my veg beds (go boys) or sitting on the fence waiting for me to feed the chickens

jacqueline · #8 (**permalink**) 02-09-2009, 05:22 PM

I have also lost my sparrows -usually have quite a crowd - the previous 2 years they did not completely vanish and the other birds have started coming back... It may have something to do with the sparrowhawk that has been hanging around for the last couple of weeks - they may be in hiding!!! Does anyone know by the way what the different calls of the sparrowhawk mean - it has been making a squeaking noise rather than the chattering one?