Two days of snow has attracted a large flock of birds to my bird feeder with some 30 bramblings (bjørkefink) and, nice to see, around 25 house sparrows (gråspurv), largely missing in recent years.
Even waxwings (sidensvans) are attracted although they don’t stay for long.
Tag Archives: House sparrow
Biological control
This chiffchaff (gransanger) is doing its best to control the invasion of diamond back moths (kålmøll) larvae! On cress (karse) and radish (reddik) being grown for seed! I also observed house sparrows (gråspurv) feeding on them earlier today! I was cheering them on!
http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=23073
Goldfinch flock returns
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
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!
More December birds
House sparrows (a flock of 25 taking turns on the bird feeder), with brambling and hawfinch (gråspurv, bjørkefink og kjernebiter):
Great spotted woodpecker (flaggspett):
Birds in the garden
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!
House sparrow house insect catching
Sat at my desk and a house sparrow / gråspurv is catching insects on the warmed up house wall….
Sparrows working hard removing diamond backs
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!
House sparrow: better late than never
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!!
Sparrowhawk
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…