[NatureNS] House Sparrows

From: "Laviolette, Lance (EXP)" <lance.laviolette@lmco.com>
To: "naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:02:07 -0500
Thread-Topic: [NatureNS] House Sparrows
Thread-Index: Ac3ORrf3d4ai59MsRai288f7VIblSwAAfygw
References: <COL114-W9C99D652592B0439DB4E9FC5C0@phx.gbl>
Accept-Language: en-US
acceptlanguage: en-US
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects

Index of Subjects
--_000_92470D8023567B4D8D50FBA6E5E9D00F0CB8CEEBADHCXMSP1calmco_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Hi Bev,

It certainly sounds like they had a good nesting year but I guess it could =
also be that there has been a reduction in bird feeding or natural sources =
of food in your area and now your feeders are the 'only game in town'. Do y=
ou have any idea from past years where else House Sparrows were being seen =
in the Glace Bay area in winter or has your feeder been the only winter foo=
d source for a number of years?

The other factor that works its way into the House Sparrow picture (and man=
y other bird species as well) is winter survivability. This is what a study=
 in the United Kingdom found was a big problem. House Sparrows may raise lo=
ts of young but because adult birds didn't have sufficient protein in the s=
ummer (i.e. not enough insects) to feed young, the young were not very fit,=
 even though they successfully fledged from the nest, and most died when th=
e weather became harsher.

I'll be interested in hearing how your flock makes out through the winter. =
Please keep us posted.

All the best,

Lance
Lance Laviolette
Glen Robertson, Ontario



From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] =
On Behalf Of Bev Crowell
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 9:57 AM
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: EXTERNAL: [NatureNS] House Sparrows

Hi Everybody.

Yesterday, Wednesday, there were so many House Sparrows hanging around our =
feeders and the roosting bushes, that I thought we should give them a count=
.  We got as close as we could - 90+!!!  I could not believe it!  We usuall=
y have about 40+ House Sparrows, but 90 is definitely more than usual.  Did=
 they have a good nesting year?  Well, if their numbers are any indication,=
 I say around here they did!

Bev
Glace Bay

--_000_92470D8023567B4D8D50FBA6E5E9D00F0CB8CEEBADHCXMSP1calmco_
Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<html xmlns:v=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o=3D"urn:schemas-micr=
osoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" =
xmlns:m=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns=3D"http:=
//www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=
=3D"text/html; charset=3Dus-ascii"><meta name=3DGenerator content=3D"Micros=
oft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
	{font-family:"Cambria Math";
	panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
	{font-family:Calibri;
	panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
	{font-family:Tahoma;
	panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
	{margin:0in;
	margin-bottom:.0001pt;
	font-size:12.0pt;
	font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
	{mso-style-priority:99;
	color:blue;
	text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
	{mso-style-priority:99;
	color:purple;
	text-decoration:underline;}
p
	{mso-style-priority:99;
	mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
	margin-right:0in;
	mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
	margin-left:0in;
	font-size:12.0pt;
	font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
span.EmailStyle19
	{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
	font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
	color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
	{mso-style-type:export-only;
	font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
	{size:8.5in 11.0in;
	margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
	{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext=3D"edit" spidmax=3D"1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext=3D"edit">
<o:idmap v:ext=3D"edit" data=3D"1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=3DEN-US link=3Dblue vli=
nk=3Dpurple><div class=3DWordSection1><p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'f=
ont-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Hi Bev,<o=
:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;fo=
nt-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p=
><p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri"=
,"sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>It certainly sounds like they had a good nesti=
ng year but I guess it could also be that there has been a reduction in bir=
d feeding or natural sources of food in your area and now your feeders are =
the &#8216;only game in town&#8217;. Do you have any idea from past years w=
here else House Sparrows were being seen in the Glace Bay area in winter or=
 has your feeder been the only winter food source for a number of years?<o:=
p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;fon=
t-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>=
<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",=
"sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>The other factor that works its way into the Ho=
use Sparrow picture (and many other bird species as well) is winter surviva=
bility. This is what a study in the United Kingdom found was a big problem.=
 House Sparrows may raise lots of young but because adult birds didn&#8217;=
t have sufficient protein in the summer (i.e. not enough insects) to feed y=
oung, the young were not very fit, even though they successfully fledged fr=
om the nest, and most died when the weather became harsher.<o:p></o:p></spa=
n></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Cal=
ibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=3DMs=
oNormal><span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";=
color:#1F497D'>I&#8217;ll be interested in hearing how your flock makes out=
 through the winter. Please keep us posted.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=
=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-se=
rif";color:#1F497D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'=
>All the best,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'fon=
t-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p>&nbsp;=
</o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-=
family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D