Where have the sparrows gone?

[Wagstaff]

Up until about five weeks ago, my bird-feeding station was dominated by sparrows - sometimes they would empty one feeder in a day !!
Since then hardly any have appeared, and the station is now dominated by tits.
I'm curious to know what has happened to the sparrows. Why could they disappear so completely, and where have they gone?


Wagstaff

[Billabong Karen]

They've clearly gone to Pegasus' house! (See other thread, Anyone Want Any House Sparrows)

[~T~]

Tons of them still visiting my garden. I would like to think it's the flock thats always there and growing thanks to my feeding though not sure how nomadic they are.

[artdemole]

Still down by the rec and also in the lanes of our village...

[tigertom]

My sparrows went awol as well along with goldfinches three weeks back but sparrows have started to vist again now and goldfinches comeing back as well
MIKE

[Wagstaff]

Thanks for the responses, guys.
I guess it is just one of those things where there is no explanation - the cycle of life, maybe.

Did hear a stonechat this morning to cheer me up.

Wagstaff

[Billabong Karen]

I never seem to see any sparrows here, though we do get the odd dunnock. Lots down on the farm in Wiltshire though. Guess it's a question of what there is for them to eat, they certainly seem happy in and around the barns.

[imbrian943]

i normally have many birds on my feeders sparrows blue tits great tits coal tits greenfinches goldfinches siskins etc plus every year i have alarge flock of chaffinches in my garden for over a month now i havent seen a single bird in my garden where have they gone?

[mike-c]

We seem to have lost all our birds except the sparrows!
We have always had a few - perhaps half a dozen - sparrows, but this autumn we have been overwhelmed. Yesterday I counted 47 - it's like a swarm of locusts, and all the other garden birds have disappeared, presumably for a more peaceful garden...

[exo]

If I understand the dynamic, small groups of 6-12 sparrows in individual areas/gardens
group up at this time of year (or earlier) into much larger flocks.

I've observed this causing them to be much more skittish & flighty in the larger group-mind.
If you add anything unfamiliar to any of them, the whole bunch might not stay around at all.

Matches what I see happening in my garden, but when the weather gets colder
I bet they'll overcome their jumpiness & guzzle at whatever you provide them.