Save the Sparrow AvonWildLife

[nightshade]

Come on you reluctant heroes Avon Wildlife Trust - Wild Sparrows

[Deb London]

This is interesting:

Grow Nasturtiums, ornamental cabbages and other plants that aphids and caterpillars will enjoy.

I have been wondering which plants to try to entice the 'sparras' to my plot, which seems to be on the very edge of their range. I already have some native thorn bushes growing, but this will take time. Nasties are faster.

Thanks for the link.

[nightshade]

I plant sacrificial veg. that caterpillars like, almost anything tender sprinkle it from the packet let the insects eat it. The Sparrows need these pests and soon find them to feed chicks. Any that survive are a bonus

[Deb London]

Originally Posted by nightshade

I plant sacrificial veg. that caterpillars like, almost anything tender sprinkle it from the packet let the insects eat it. The Sparrows need these pests and soon find them to feed chicks. Any that survive are a bonus

Oh my goodness, sounds like you have visited my back garden. I've been gardening like this for years.

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by Deb London

This is interesting:
I have been wondering which plants to try to entice the 'sparras' to my plot,

Try planting privet they love it. They can nest in it, roost in it in winter and feed on the inverts and fruit etc on it.

Additionally any native plants which have good invertebrate populations are good. Seeding plants like kale, linseed, quinoa, mustard, forage rape and millet. These species are pretty good for finches and buntings too (although im not sure you will get many buntings where you are).

[nightshade]

I have the varigated "Golden privet" Bees love it as do hoverflies and I love the scent

[bigdave60dog]

When I was about 14 years old my father gave me an old 12 bore shotgun and a load of dustshot loaded cartridges. Then He sent me out for days on end keeping the enormous flock of House Sparrows off our wheatfields.
Now we need to save them. What has changed?
1. Boxed in eaves and plastic soffitts. House Sparrows can no longer nest in Houses. Put in Sparrow Nest Boxes.
2. No longer winter stubbles fields. With the turn to "agribussiness from "farming"
Many farms are now owned by outside investment groups and farmed by management companies with work done by contractors. These are only paid on profits made each year. They take no account of long term damage to our environment or to soil structure and soil fauna. This sets the trend and own account farmers follow suit.
Thus arable ground is plough up as soon as the crops is harvested and planted striaghtaway. This leaves no opportunity for birds to feed on stubble fields as they have done for centuries. In addition to this we are now really good at growing what we plant and nothing else. No weeds, no insects in fact ecological deserts.
As soon as the crop is harvested Sparrows starve along with many other birds. Feed grain all the year round. that will increase your spuggies big time. I must admit that this can be expensive. I found that my lot could eat 25kg a week easily. But in 9 years of nesting and feeding I saw an increase in House Sparrows beyond what I could measure.
3. Bad advice. RSPB used to say "stop feeding birds at nesting time" The logic being that birds would feed their young the wrong kind of food. In practice we fed birds all winter, then just as they needed food for energy we stopped. They starved. Birds will have enough sense to feed properly. I proved it. I even had Reed buntings nesting in Pampas Grass. Birds encourage birds.
When we moved into that house in 1990 we had loads of sparrows and starlings nest in our roof. I did the proper thing and boxed in my eaves to save energy. As did everyone else. At the same time the local estate sold up releasing thousands of acres of farm land onto the open market. This was snapped by investment groups and farmed as described. "0 years later it is even more sterile than then. Within 5 years spuggies had all but disappeared from the area. I took another 9 years to build up a decent population in my bit of road, They were still in short supply elsewhere in the village though.
Dave

[Gill Catton]

The biggest driver in the ongoing decline in sparrows is the lack of insect food that the young need in the first few weeks of like. My colleague studied it as a PHD and found chicks starving to death in the nest.

Seed food is important for the survival of adults but won't help them raise chicks. Also they are very adapatable for nest sites and will nest in dense shrubbery if no cavities are availablie. No doubt there will be a multitude of factors that don't help but primarily is the decline in insect food.

People stripping rose shrubs and greenery from the gardens, better pesticides and a decline in dairyfarms and outdoor livestock. These all result in fewer insects.

[Deb London]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Try planting privet they love it. They can nest in it, roost in it in winter and feed on the inverts and fruit etc on it.

Additionally any native plants which have good invertebrate populations are good. Seeding plants like kale, linseed, quinoa, mustard, forage rape and millet. These species are pretty good for finches and buntings too (although im not sure you will get many buntings where you are).

We do have a privet, but not enough. They are getting more hedge, but hawthorn I'm afraid as it's been in a few years. I seem to remember they like that too. But there is a fascinating area near the local station with loads and loads of council (I think) privet hedges and it's amazing how the House Sparrows love this area.

Love the ideas for different plant - ta D.

No, no buntings. :-(

[Ukwildlifeo]

On the subject of good plants for sparrows, when I did gardening almost every pyracantha was full of sparrows, many nesting, so they are a good bet. Plus could entice in waxwings in winter

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

The biggest driver in the ongoing decline in sparrows is the lack of insect food that the young need in the first few weeks of like. My colleague studied it as a PHD and found chicks starving to death in the nest.

Has this study been published? Would be a great one to shove in the faces of the sparrowhawks wiped out the sparrows brigade.