Do the sparrows go on holiday?

We're wondering about this too. Earlier in the year there were hordes of them outside, but numbers seem to have dropped off lately.
We put up a few bird boxes last year and it was a joy to see them flitting and fluttering in and out and fussing over their babies.

Don't worry, they're all sitting on the phone lines outside my house.

They look like a musical stave

I haven’t seen a sparrow in years here. I think the big birds must have eaten them all though we do get the tiny little honeyeaters in flocks. Never see thrushes ,either ,though we get the odd blackbird. Different types of birds these days. More parrots, kookaburras, currawongs and ravens but the magpies seem to be going and haven’t seen owls for a long while.

Were there any dead fledglings in the rubbish they cleared out?

That is usually the reason for them deserting nests.

I never remember any birds except rooks holding a very obvious house-cleaning, but I have know tits desert a nest after a fledgling died there.

Perhaps a bird-watcher can suggest a reason. To me it sounds as if there either is some illness sweeping the sparrow community or some other danger. You haven't seen a hawk, have you?

Could there be some more venturesome cats with good road drill or a stoat in the neighbourhood?

It`s Possible they have cleared the nests out.
We have loads of different birds in our garden,i think it`s because we live at the side of a canal.

We had an absolute tragedy a few weeks ago. Wondering why one box had gone quiet so DH went up ladder to look inside and found three little dried up corpses. I think it must have been the intense heat as perhaps the box was in wrong spot or perhaps a cat had got parents. It made us feel quite sad.

fairfraise

We had an absolute tragedy a few weeks ago. Wondering why one box had gone quiet so DH went up ladder to look inside and found three little dried up corpses. I think it must have been the intense heat as perhaps the box was in wrong spot or perhaps a cat had got parents. It made us feel quite sad.

It's quite disturbing when you find nature at it's most raw isnt it?

Your sparrows are on holiday here in the Lake District ? and very welcome they are too.
Seriously, it sound like the work of magpies or similar predators, have you noticed and increase of this type of bird in the vicinity?

They moult this time of year so keep themselves to themselves?

Namsnanny It is disturbing. We took the box down and decided not to replace it there, as it was in a sunny spot. But then we had put it there as neighbouring cats could not have got up there, at side of house.

Nesting boxes should face north

We don’t get sparrows here a disappointment to me but ten minutes walk away it’s farm land and they are everywhere. We have two farm shops close by and the sparrows nest all over the place.

My DD lives in Lancashire the view from her house is Pendle hill her garden is always busy with sparrows and full of nests.
I think they do eventually move away from nesting places to forage what is available to feed on.

A clearing out like that sadly suggests it's a predator, possibly a magpie, gull, bird of prey or even rats. If it is a predator, the sparrows will relocate away from the danger.

I am going to pin my hopes on them being in the lake district

I have had a look I can't see any dead babies, they just aren't there at all. Even Mr nosey who is always out on the corner of the guttering chirping away and inspecting the top of my husband's head, he has gone too

We do have hawks but they tend to nick one at a time from the hedge. The kites and buzzards are too busy winding up the corvids and keeping down the rodent population. We do have stoats and weasels but I've not seen them for a while......

Oh no at predator it would explain the moss though. I think some of it has come off the actual tiles rather than from inside the tile cavity

I've noticed sparrows are not as populous as they used to be. But then, many species are declining I think. The human effect and probably linked to global warming too. I know many insects are extinct now, so I guess if their food source goes...

I DID however notice a lot of sparrows in Switzerland. Clearly they don't have whatever the issue is we have there.

Well there ya go Whitewave I was told to face mine East!

We have loads of sparrows, their preferred roots is the front of a three storey Georgian house, opposite.
They then fly around a triangle of houses alighting in each garden for several minutes, then their off again! Chattering to each other all the time.
They also love our fountain for a daily bath and shower.

Roost *

Yes, they all come to the tree opposite our home. . They're so loud, chattering away in the evening. I quite enjoy it though.

During the spring and summer I had many sparrow families visiting my garden. It's quiet now, but as a poster upthread mentioned, the birds are in moult now. We don't see much of them as they tend to spend this time in the undergrowth. I have bluetits feeding from the hanging feeder.

It helps to feed them.
I have been feeding birds in front and back gardens for many years now.
I used to get many types ( 20 different types) but now it is only sparrows!
I am pleased to see them but miss the others too.
Also I had bushes and a tree planted 10 years ago and this helps the smaller birds to have a safe refuge from the damm cats (not mine) who sit and watch and wait.

As a child in East London I only ever saw sparrows and pigeons it has been a delight to see tha the UK has so many varieties.

fairfraise

We had an absolute tragedy a few weeks ago. Wondering why one box had gone quiet so DH went up ladder to look inside and found three little dried up corpses. I think it must have been the intense heat as perhaps the box was in wrong spot or perhaps a cat had got parents. It made us feel quite sad.

That is sad

I have put some fresh water in the bird bath and some seed in the hope that Mr Nosey might make an appearance and show his naked scruffy body. Fingers crossed

We’ve had loads of sparrows nesting in the eaves, loads of starlings, few blackbirds but it is noticeably very quiet this week. I have seen a blackbird on occasion. Garden very quiet. Pigeons still “building” nests but obviously they missed those lessons on how to make a proper nest.