Plaque Sparrow @bbc_springwatch

Bird song heralds Spring and no bird is more vocal, or combative as Spring approaches than the House Sparrow.

When we first moved to Leeds in 1987 families of House Sparrows would career around the garden, especially liking the mosses on the garage roof. Sadly, as with many places, we seldom see a Sparrow in our garden now.

Which makes this time of year even more special, when we see and hear the not-so-common Spadger on our walks.

This tablet is on a wall in Staithes. The street is known as High Barrass and leads up from the village to the cliff top car park. It reads :

"This covert was planted in memory of Spadger, 1st Baron Sparrow, the hero of a hundred fights. Died March 1901."

Unfortunately, the covert has gone. But the plaque remains, as do Spadger's ancestors in Staithes, as loud and proud as he was.