They’ve been absent for some time apart from a single bird occasionally. A flock of 6 birds were in the garden most of yesterday:
1) …with Yellowhammers (gulspurv), tree sparrows (pilfink) and house sparrow (gråspurv)
2) ……with greenfinch and yellowhammers (grønnfink og gulspurv)
3) …with a nuthatch doing neck exercises (taken from a film)
House sparrows (gråspurv) are often ignored but apparently numbers have declined in Europe in recent years, estimated at 70% in the UK. A few years ago it was chosen as bird of the year here in Norway to draw attention to its plight. It is believed that modern day agriculture and perhaps lack of breeding spaces in modern houses…nice then to see a flock of 25 at the feeder the other day!
House sparrows (a flock of 25 taking turns on the bird feeder), with brambling and hawfinch (gråspurv, bjørkefink og kjernebiter):
Great spotted woodpecker (flaggspett):
It was difficult to concentrate at the weekend as there was so much happening outside the living room window…here’s a selection of still pictures and videos of birds eating wild food and at and under the bird feeder!
Sat at my desk and a house sparrow / gråspurv is catching insects on the warmed up house wall….
Here’s more evidence for the importance of having sparrows in our gardens! In the video can be seen both house and tree sparrows (gråspurv og pilfink) feeding on diamond back moth (kålmøll) larvae from kale leaves!
While eating breakfast this morning I spotted these house sparrows (gråspurv) eating diamond back moth (kålmøll) larvae from the undersides of these ragged jack kale plants, sown as a salad crop, but long since given up to the moths… Better late than never I suppose!!
There was a commotion in the garden with the house sparrows making a racket…this was the culprit, a splendid male 
! He flew off a few moments later without a catch…
