Look up for a true tree treat
I HAVE only seen tree sparrows close to the Cadishead Moss in Salford, close enough to tell the difference between them and their cousins.
Our mosslands birding legend Dave Steel sends us monthly reports of his sightings and it was great to see tree sparrows appearing in small flocks here and there on his spreadsheet.
You may have seen house sparrows and dunnocks in your garden but tree sparrows tend to stick to the countryside. They don’t appear to be an urban bird like their townie cousins.
The tree sparrow sticks to farmland where it can feed on seeds, weeds and cereals and all the insects that live out there.
And while we all love to see sparrows in our garden, the tree sparrow is the good-looking member of the family – with its chocolate brown cap and black cheek spots.
While much wildlife is on the decline tree sparrows are apparently increasing in our region, which is brilliant news. Over the past few decades numbers have risen and fallen with a disastrous drop in the late 1970s.
This was probably down to pesticides killing off insects and intensive farming removing much of the habitats for these lovely birds.
Farmland birds have suffered and even our cheeky garden starlings have decreased in numbers over the years.
Now, nest boxes have been put up in woodland and this has led to a jump in numbers of breeding birds. Isn’t it great when conservationists can have such a direct impact on our wildlife?
Male and female tree sparrows look the same, with chestnut brown crowns, chestnut backs, buff undersides, white cheeks and those black cheek-spots. Male house sparrows, in comparison, have grey caps and plain grey cheeks without spots.
This doesn’t mean house sparrows are dull, but it does mean tree sparrows are really chocolatey, which will remind people not to forget their Easter eggs. I have been trying, for years, to get Julie a Bounty egg. They haven’t made them recently, but I hear a rumour they are back.
Just like our resurgent tree sparrows. If you are out and about in spring, see if you can spot the difference between house and tree sparrow.
And the best place to see them is on a lovely walk in the your nearest woodland or on the mosses.
● The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside is dedicated to the protection and promotion of the wildlife in Lancashire, seven boroughs of Greater Manchester and four of Merseyside, all lying north of the River Mersey. It manages around 40 nature reserves and 20 Local Nature Reserves covering acres of woodland, wetland, upland and meadow. The Trust has 29,000 members, and more than 1,200 volunteers.
● To become a member of the Trust go to the website at www.lancswt.org.uk or call 01772 324129. For more information about Cheshire Wildlife Trust call 01948 820728 or go to cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk.