[NatureNS] House Sparrows

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Date: Sun, 3 Feb 2013 08:29:42 -0800 (PST)
From: Paul MacDonald <paulrita2001@yahoo.com>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
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Sounds like Cousin knows what she is talking about Andy.In the old days Hou=
se Sparrows used to be connected with smallherds of cattle. Nearly everyone=
 on small farms kept maybe 20 cows.and a flock of about the same number of =
sparrows.The cows provided food and shelter to the birds.In addition mosqui=
to and numerous other flies likes the cows.Never tent near a cow pasture!Sw=
allows loved the flies and always there was a flock of swallows withthe cow=
s. The cows kept the mud around the drinking tub churned up=A0so it was eas=
y for the swallows=A0to build their nest. Once finished, the sparrows chase=
d away the swallows=A0and =A0took over the nest site - filled it full of st=
raw and raised their brood leaving=A0the swallows t build another nest.When=
 the small herds of cattle disappeared so did the swallows and the sparrows=
.Someone had a quote about pulling on one thing in nature and the effects r=
ipple out.The case here!Paul


--- On Sun, 2/3/13, Andy Dean <aadean@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote:

From: Andy Dean <aadean@ns.sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] House Sparrows
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Received: Sunday, February 3, 2013, 7:54 AM

=0A=0A =0A =0A=0A=0A=0AI=A0mailed=A0my English cousin where they are having=
 the same =0Atrend.=0AHer reply:=0AIn=A0some way it is global warming but a=
 big factor is loss of habitat. =0AThe loft insulation and uvpc soffats=A0a=
nd building regulations have deprived =0Athem of traditional nesting sites.=
....plus as a country we seem to be hell bent =0Aon covering the entire Bri=
tish Isles in concrete. We are building houses just =0Aabout anywhere witho=
ut regard for services let alone wildlife..=0A=A0=0AAndy and Lelia Dean
86 Baden Powell =0Adrive,
Kentville,=A0 N.S.
B4N 5P5=0A=A0=0A(902) 678-6243
aadean@ns.sympatico.ca
=A0=0A=0A  ----- Original Message ----- =0A  From: =0A  P.L. Chalmers =0A  =
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca =0A  Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2013 10:46 =
=0A  PM=0A  Subject: [NatureNS] House Sparrows=0A =20
John Sollows' remark about House Sparrows reminds =0A  me of a belated obse=
rvation I intended to post.=A0=20

I was interested =0A  to hear Ian McLaren and James Hirtle interviewed on I=
nformation Morning two =0A  weeks ago concerning the decline of House Sparr=
ows.=A0 I have walked the =0A  same mile-long route to work in the mornings=
 for about twenty years.=A0 =0A  When I first moved here, there were five l=
ocations along the way where there =0A  were resident colonies of House Spa=
rrows.=A0 Gradually they =0A  disappeared.=A0 I wanted to confirm my impres=
sion of this, so I have made a =0A  point of observing every day recently a=
s I walk, and I haven't seen a single =0A  House Sparrow.=A0 I know there a=
re still a few=A0 in the vicinity of the =0A  last stop: they must have mov=
ed to a different feeder just out of range for =0A  me, but there=A0 have b=
een none at the other four stations for some time, =0A  despite the fact th=
at the people there still feed birds.=A0=A0 =0A =20

It is striking how they have declined.=A0 I found it difficult to =0A  conf=
irm their breeding in some of my Atlas squares in Annapolis County a few =
=0A  years ago.

Patricia L. Chalmers
Halifax


At 06:00 AM =0A  02/02/2013, you wrote:
=0A  Over the past couple or three =0A    decades down Yarmouth way, mornin=
g doves are
one of those species which =0A    have gone from being relatively noteworth=
y to
being highly =0A    commonplace.=A0 More or less the reverse of the house =
=0A    sparrow
story!

-----Original Message-----
From: =0A    naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [ =0A    mailto:naturens-owner@c=
hebucto.ns.ca]
On Behalf Of P.L. =0A    Chalmers
Sent: February-01-13 11:30 PM
To: =0A    naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Mourning Doves - Can they =0A    become =0A    pest=
s?

Don,

=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 =0A    That's interesting.=A0 Your neighbourhood w=
as checked during =0A    the
Christmas Bird Count, and none were found then.=A0 However, in =0A    recen=
t years
there was a good-sized flock that moved around from the foot =0A    of Spri=
ngvale
Avenue to just south of Mount Olivet Cemetery, which isn't =0A    all that =
far from
you.=A0 I did that area this year, and didn't find =0A    them.

=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 =0A    Cheers,

=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 =0A    Patricia

At 10:45 PM 01/02/2013, you wrote:
>I now have about =0A    16 Mourning Doves coming to my backyard near the=
=20
>Halifax Shopping =0A    Centre (none in previous years).=A0 They must be m=
aking =0A   =20
>incursions into the city.
>
>Don
>
>Don =0A    MacNeill
>donmacneill@bellaliant.net
>----- Original Message =0A    -----
>From: "P.L. Chalmers" =0A    <plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca>
>To: "NatureNS" =0A    <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
>Sent: Friday, February 01, 2013 9:53 =0A    PM
>Subject: [NatureNS] Mourning Doves - Can they become =0A    pests?
>
>
>During the recent cold spell I was more =0A    generous than usual in stoc=
king=20
>my feeders.=A0 There was more =0A    spillage of seed, and to my surprise =
I now=20
>have up to six Mourning =0A    Doves coming to feed.=A0 This might not see=
m=20
>unusual to many of =0A    you, but MoDo's are not common on the Halifax=20
>Peninsula.=A0 In =0A    fact last year was the first time that I had even =
one of=A0=20
>these =0A    lovely birds in my yard.=A0 In my limited experience of them =
in =0A   =20
>Bedford, they roosted and nested in trees, and were pretty =0A    unobtrus=
ive.=A0=20
>I was wondering, though, have they become a pest, =0A    like pigeons, in=
=20
>places where they are numerous? Will they roost =0A    around buildings?
>
>Patricia L. =0A  Chalmers
>Halifax=0A
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<table cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" border=3D"0" ><tr><td valign=3D"=
top" style=3D"font: inherit;">Sounds like Cousin knows what she is talking =
about Andy.<div>In the old days House Sparrows used to be connected with sm=
all</div><div>herds of cattle. Nearly everyone on small farms kept maybe 20=
 cows.</div><div>and a flock of about the same number of sparrows.</div><di=
v>The cows provided food and shelter to the birds.</div><div>In addition mo=
squito and numerous other flies likes the cows.</div><div>Never tent near a=
 cow pasture!</div><div>Swallows loved the flies and always there was a flo=
ck of swallows with</div><div>the cows. The cows kept the mud around the dr=
inking tub churned up&nbsp;</div><div>so it was easy for the swallows&nbsp;=
<span style=3D"font-size: 10pt;">to build their nest. Once finished, the sp=
arrows chased away the swallows&nbsp;</span><span style=3D"font-size: 10pt;=
">and &nbsp;took over the nest site - filled it full of straw