House Sparrow Passer domesticus

The best way to learn is by spending time outside listening to songs and calls with someone who can already recognise them. Most people find it impossible to learn more than a couple of new calls or songs in a day so it's worth focusing in on just a couple of species during a walk. Once you really know the calls made by common species such as robins, wrens, great tits and wood pigeons, it will become progressively easier to pick out anything different.

CDs of bird songs and calls can be helpful too and are available from Norfolk Wildlife Trust at its visitor centres, such as NWT Cley Marshes nature reserve. Wildounds based in Norfolk, offers a huge range of CDs by mail order  and can be contacted via the website www.wildsounds.co.uk .

Many guided walks are organised by NWT on its nature reserves (check event listings on the website for current events) and these often provide opportunities to learn from and with others who will be delighted to share their knowledge.

Picture by Elizabeth Dack

Studies have shown that feeding birds in spring and early summer does increase the success rate of nesting birds especially when weather conditions such as cold, wet weather in spring make foraging for natural foods more difficult.

Regular feeding throughout the year will ensure that birds become accustomed to the sites of feeders and bird tables.

Natural foods for many species are at a peak in late summer and early autumn and this is probably the time when birds benefit least from supplementary feeding but continuing to feed suitable foods will do no harm.

Avoid feeding peanuts from feeders that allow whole nuts to be taken during the breeding season to avoid any chance of young birds being choked.

Adult birds will keep themselves in good condition by using your bird feeders but continue to forage for appropriate food such as invertebrates to feed their young.

Winter feeding, especially during cold spells, can be a lifeline for many birds. As well as providing supplementary foods from feeders it's well worth also managing the habitats in your garden to provide more natural foods.

Picture by Steve Andrews

If rats become a problem at bird feeding sites, it may be necessary to cease feeding for a period to discourage them. Rats are most active at night so removing feeders at night and ensuring no uneaten food remains on the ground overnight will also reduce the likelihood of this problem. Careful location of hanging feeders away from walls covered with ivy or climbing plants will make it harder for rats to access them and pole mounted feeders can be made inaccessible to rats if a slippery metal or plastic pole is used or a collar is mounted below the feeder.

If you wish to deter squirrels from hanging bird feeders, then use squirrel proof metal feeders which allow access to small birds but have a squirrel proof metal mesh preventing access to squirrels. Alternatively use pole mounted feeders sited away from overhanging trees.

Picture by Sue Seeley

Good hygiene at bird feeding stations is important especially during periods of warm weather. Birds are subject to a range of diseases many of which are transmitted by droppings. If food is contaminated with droppings, this can spread avian diseases. Bird tables and feeders should be kept clean and free from droppings. Feeders and tables can be cleaned using a 10% disinfectant solution or boiling water. 

Moving feeders around your garden will help prevent a build up of droppings on the ground below. Food should not be allowed to go mouldy. When cleaning feeders, it is advisable to wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards. On bird tables, or if feeding birds on the ground, do not provide more food than is eaten in a single day and put out new food each morning.

Picture by Robin Blackmur

It's no surprise that sparrowhawks take advantage of feeders where their prey are unnaturally concentrated and exposed. Birds are their only food and are very hard to catch. In the woods, most chases are unsuccessful; each carries the risk of disabling injury. Hawks starve in hard winters, especially the small males, and patches of woodland that provide enough prey are scarce in modern landscapes. The sparrowhawk is a native species that has coexisted with our songbirds for millennia and most of the species it takes at feeders are common; hawks are hungry wild birds too, why would we try to limit their activities?
 
The only place small birds are safe is within cover, such as a hedge or bush that the hawk is too big to penetrate. Try not to force small birds to feed in the open. If possible, place feeding stations next to bushes, although if cats are a problem as well, the bushes should be cut clear of the ground and remember too that feeders next to a continuous hedge are vulnerable if the hawk can use it to screen its high-speed approach. Providing cover above feeders, for example by hanging them under a pergola or from tree branches, seems to be helpful; hawks often strike horizontally so escaping upwards is a good tactic.

Sparrowhawks adopt regular hunting routes and although they quickly adapt to obstacles and scarers, changes to their route can temporarily disorientate them, giving prey precious extra seconds. For example, simply moving feeders around the garden every few days can be surprisingly effective, it is also good for hygiene. However, the only really effective method of reducing the 'hit rate' at feeders is by placing them inside a permanent physical barrier such as a wire mesh or netting cage that allows small birds in but keeps hawks out. Alternatively, seed, nut or fat feeders can be pushed right into hedges - small birds will find the food and move along inside the hedge to safety. Place food underneath the hedge for thrushes and blackbirds. You won't be able to watch the birds feeding, but more of them will stay alive.  

Picture by David Marney

 

 

If you find a bird that has been ringed please contact the Ringing Unit at the British Trust for Ornithology. If the bird is large you may be able to read the ring without handling it. However, it will be difficult to do this on a small bird, in this case it is ok to pick them up but remember to wash your hands and any equipment you used to handle the dead bird.
 
Please report the ring number and if the bird is dead send the ring along with your letter. Provide as much information as you can about the location of where the bird was found, for example, the nearest town/ grid reference. Also include the date you found the bird and the species if it is known. If the bird was dead please also include any information on the cause of death. Also include your details so the BTO can be in contact.

BTO – Report a bird ring 
 
In the interests of monitoring and understanding the spread of avian influenza (bird flu), Defra ask that you report any dead waterfowl (swans, geese, ducks), gulls, or birds of prey you find. You should also report any other dead wild birds you find in numbers of five or more. You can contact them on the Defra helpline (03459 33 55 77). Do not touch or handle the dead bird if you can avoid it, but if you must, wash your hands thoroughly as soon as possible, keeping your hands away from your face and any food.


If the bird is a pigeon - rings can be reported to The Royal Pigeon Racing Association
 
Please remember to wash your hands after handling any dead bird.  

 

It is known that house sparrow numbers in towns and cities have seriously declined over recent decades. There is no definitive answer as to why this is, but some of the theories include; loss of nesting sites, lack of available food throughout the nesting season (particularly a decrease in aphids, which form a large part of the food fed to newly hatched chicks) increased use of garden insecticides or spread of disease. Although the reasons for decline are not clear, there are things that we can do to help the house sparrow. These include: putting up nest boxes, encouraging insect life in your garden by gardening organically, and planting plants that attract insect life, and feeding the birds in your garden, particularly with seeds in the winter time.

Picture by Alan Tompson

In the interests of monitoring and understanding the spread of avian influenza (bird flu), Defra ask that you report any dead waterfowl (swans, geese, ducks), gulls, or birds of prey you find. You should also report any other dead wild birds you find in numbers of five or more. You can contact them on the Defra helpline (03459 33 55 77). Do not touch or handle the dead bird.

Picture by Julian Thomas

The adult male has a grey top to the head and a characteristic black ‘bib’ on his chest which is bolder in spring to attract a mate. The females and young birds are mainly sandy brown with the back and wings with darker streaks.

The much rarer tree sparrow can be confused with the house sparrow. However, tree sparrows are smaller and both sexes have a distinctive copper or chestnut brown carp to their heads, a white collar and a black spot on their cheeks. The house sparrow also has a stouter bill than the tree sparrow.

The tree sparrow is also much shyer and prefers to live in open farmland, isolated woods and disused quarries.

Picture by Ron Scott

The tree sparrow was once a very common bird in farmland habitat, where they could be found amongst most overgrown hedgerows, especially ones with occasional mature trees. During the winter, grain piles and spillages also used to see large gatherings of mixed tree and house sparrow flocks. Nowadays though, much smaller numbers are to be found in these habitats.
 
In North Norfolk the most well known site is Choseley which is just 1 mile south of Titchwell, where the species is still present in small numbers. The best areas to look are around the drying barns and surrounding hedgerows.
 
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.  

Picture by Don Cuddon

The British Trust for Ornithology carries out many surveys to monitor bird populations and actively seeks assistance from members of the public. For more information, go to their website at www.bto.org. Alternatively you can take part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch which normally takes place in January.  

Picture by Pat Adams

 

Bird Feeding Tips:
Firstly, and if you have sufficient storage space, it is far more cost-effective to buy bird food in bulk. Birds need high fat foods such as peanuts, seeds, fat balls and meal worms, which you can get from garden centres and pet shops. Niger seeds and sunflower hearts may seem expensive but, because there is no waste, these foods can be more economical. Store your bird food in a cool, dry, secure place.

Kitchen scraps such as bacon fat, bruised apples and pears, cooked potato, grated cheese, cake crumbs (including left over Christmas cake), raisins, cooked rice and pastry are also welcome; a variety of foods will attract different species of birds. Please ensure that you continue putting out food once you have started as the birds will come to rely on it.

Feeders:
It is important to keep feeders topped up, especially first thing in the morning, when birds are active and replacing energy lost overnight. Fill feeders with peanuts, seed mixes, sunflower hearts and fat balls (don’t use fat balls in nets; birds can get their feet caught in them). Additionally, goldfinches – if you have any nearby – can be attracted with Niger seeds.

Try and put bird feeders in a sheltered spot in the garden, away from the cold wind and well out of the reach of cats. Also use squirrel-proof feeders if squirrels are regular visitors to your garden. Larger feeders are easier to maintain because they don’t need filling up so often; however, if the food is not eaten quickly or adequately sheltered, it may grow mouldy. If any seeds at the bottom of the feeder become soggy, throw them out and let the feeder dry out before you refill it. Rather than rushing to refill feeders during the day, keep a tray underneath them; many seeds will spill throughout the course of the day, and ground-feeding birds can be encouraged to pick these up. Make sure to avoid the spread of disease by cleaning feeders and bird tables regularly.

Ground food:
Because not all birds use feeders, a sprinkling of food on the ground or on a bird table – provided that there are no cats around – will be beneficial. Do not put too much food out on the ground, however, as any which is left over at the end of the day may attract rats.

Garden:
Don’t keep your garden too tidy! Leave seed heads and berries on plants and leave nest boxes up as roosting sites.

Water:
Birds need a supply of clean water every day; not just to drink, but also to wash in. Use bowls if you do not a have a bird bath, and try adding small twigs or ping pong balls to the water – the movement of this makeshift flotsam will prevent the surface of the water from freezing over. Do not use any salt or antifreeze products, as antifreeze is a poison that is lethal to both wildlife and pets.