Sparrows

I've had plenty around my feeders but I'm fortunate - many have disappeared and friends who live in town say they haven't see one for years. A taxi driver who picked me up the other day commented that he doesn't have any in his garden, about 9 miles away. According to a TV wildlife programme I saw recently, sparrow colonies tend to stay in one area, where they know that there's food and shelter. My noisy bunch congregate in the shrubs in my garden, the hedge across the road, and in neighbour's gardens. Just before dusk, there's a lot of excited chirruping from the bushes before they settle down for the night.

This photo was taken when a bunch of sparrows were competing with a bunch of starlings for access to the fat balls. No orderly queue.