A walk in Nant Fawr

12 Tuesday Dec 2017

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature, walks, winter

Tags

birding, birdwatching, blackbird, Brambling, British birds, Carrion crow, dunnock, Great spotted woodpecker, house sparrow, Nant Fawr, Nant Fawr Woodlands, Song thrush, walk in the woods

There was snow on the hills north of Cardiff on Saturday morning so I thought I’d try to get closer to take some photos but also combine that with a good walk. So, I jumped on a train and went a’stomping. Unfortunately, by the time I got closer, the snow had mostly melted away, which wasn’t helped by the fact that the footpath I had intended to follow, along the eastern side of the Llanishen and Lisvane reservoirs, was closed. So, I contented myself with a wander through the Nant Fawr woodlands and, afterwards, a circuit of Roath Park Lake.

171212 Nant Fawr (1)

I was rewarded with the sight, albeit distant, of my very first Brambling – my shots are heavily cropped so you’ll just have to take my word for it!

A small group of House sparrows was dotting about in bushes at the woodland edge.

I always thought Carrion crows were mostly solitary birds but this flock of about 20 proved me wrong.

171212 Nant Fawr (8) Crow 171212 Nant Fawr (9) Crow

The wood-tapping of this Great spotted woodpecker helped direct my lens in its direction, as did the singing of this little Dunnock.

171212 Nant Fawr (10) Great spotted woodpecker

And Song thrushes and Blackbirds were enjoying a hearty lunch of berries along the hedgerows.

One-two-one

11 Wednesday Oct 2017

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature

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Tags

birding, birdwatching, Forest Farm, Forest Farm Nature Reserve, house sparrow, sparrow

‘I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance than I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn.’ ~ Henry David Thoreau. I have not shared Thoreau’s privileged occurrence but I do enjoy watching and listening to sparrows, like these two juveniles seen recently at Forest Farm.

171011 House sparrows (1) 171011 House sparrows (2) 171011 House sparrows (3) 171011 House sparrows (4) 171011 House sparrows (5)

It’s World Sparrow Day!

20 Sunday Mar 2016

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature, nature photography

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birding, birds, birdwatching, British birds, Cambodia sparrow, house sparrow, New Zealand sparrow, Red list, rufous-collared sparrow, sparrow, Tanzanian sparrow

I miss sparrows.

160320 sparrow (1)

In my homeland, New Zealand, they are probably the most common and well known bird, though the New Zealand sparrow is not a native – it was introduced there several times between 1866 and 1871, and has clearly made itself at home. Sparrows were also familiar birds during the time I lived in Peru and in Cambodia but, here in Wales, I seldom see them, because, in recent years, the humble house sparrow (Passer domesticus domesticus) has undergone a huge decline in Britain. And I do mean huge – the British Trust for Ornithology website reports that the population has declined by 71% since 1977, possibly due to loss of habitat but also to a decline in the insects adult birds feed their young. The house sparrow is now on Britain’s red list, as a bird of the highest conservation concern.

160320 sparrow (2)

Around the world there are 26 species of house sparrow, native to Europe, Asia and north-west Africa. There are also American sparrows (from a separate family, the Emberizidae) and birds with similar names, like the Java sparrow (also a different family, the Estrildidae). Still, the world would be much the poorer if it lost the lovely British house sparrow, so it is gratifying to know that various wildlife organisations are working to improve its situation and increase its population. Today, let’s celebrate the humble sparrow!