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Where have all the sparrows gone?

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posted on Jun, 11 2011 @ 10:36 AM
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Go to any outdoor eating establishment, but especially some fast-food kind of place, and they will be there in numbers to pick up the scraps and crumbs that fly off the tables in the wind. As someone already noted, they are getting pretty good at begging too.

Its called adaptation, like the sea gulls that spend more time scavenging in the garbage bins than they do hunting over water. Being a lover of nature, my yard is cram packed full of vegetation of all sorts which I suppose encourages the invertebrate food source they are after. Its also pesticide and herbicide free, so the stuff is probably good eatin too.

One day the ever so slow deterioration of the environment is going to reach a tipping point after which a total collapse will be inevitable and fast. We humans will not be immune from that catastrophe as we cannot artificially manufacture all the food and medicine we currently get from nature -- no matter what dreams Monsanto might have.



posted on Jun, 11 2011 @ 12:32 PM
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Originally posted by Drunkenshrew
Here are more reasons, why sparrows are in decline (loosely translated from the German Wikipedia entry)

Modern refurbished buildings offer less niches and cavities for nesting sites


I noticed this year that one pair of sparrows appeared to nest in my guttering - I've never known any to do that before. Couldn't see the nest, but I could see them standing on the edge of the gutter mating .......



posted on Jun, 11 2011 @ 02:15 PM
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One of my little sparrows. He is in full moult so not as pretty as usual.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/739555d00a70.jpg[/atsimg]



posted on Jun, 11 2011 @ 04:02 PM
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reply to post by Drunkenshrew
 


Thank you for the link.

I had no idea there were more sorts... and I believe you are right that I might be missing House Sparrows.



posted on Jun, 11 2011 @ 04:17 PM
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Originally posted by MichiganSwampBuck
Disappearing in Europe though, that sounds like a warning, the "canary in the coal mine" so to speak. A sign our environment is in trouble.


Thanks for writing the expression, because I've never heard of it before and wasn't aware of the meaning until I googled just now.
I do not now what the official readings are (never believed those), but I bet the oxygen levels are lowering since many humans here are actually complaining about "having no air to breath".



posted on Jun, 11 2011 @ 04:18 PM
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There was an add for an article that will be in tomorows paper here in Ireland.It says the bird population is decreasing and it blames the increase in wild cats.

Cant say I have noticed a drop in birds.I do notice however on my country walks a lot less bees and definately a reduction in the amount of frogs I used to see when I was a kid.I used to love hearing the buzzing of bees and watch them in numbers as they flew from flowr to flower.Now they are much rarer.



posted on Jun, 11 2011 @ 04:19 PM
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reply to post by Tzavros
 


Thank you so much for the photo! Sweet!



posted on Jun, 11 2011 @ 04:27 PM
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Originally posted by wayno
Go to any outdoor eating establishment, but especially some fast-food kind of place, and they will be there in numbers to pick up the scraps and crumbs that fly off the tables in the wind. As someone already noted, they are getting pretty good at begging too.


I used to see that kind of action some years ago, but recently it has dropped drastically. They used to stand on the chair and wait for me to give something in the middle of an outdoor restaurant, there would be a fight for crumbs among them and pigeons. Now, I see only pigeons most of the time.

Agree about your comment on Monsanto.



posted on Jun, 11 2011 @ 04:40 PM
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reply to post by heartfulloftruth
 


any morning ill have about 15-20 sparrows in myt back yard, i have no shortage of them



posted on Jun, 11 2011 @ 04:42 PM
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Originally posted by Angrybadger
There was an add for an article that will be in tomorows paper here in Ireland.It says the bird population is decreasing and it blames the increase in wild cats.

Cant say I have noticed a drop in birds.I do notice however on my country walks a lot less bees and definately a reduction in the amount of frogs I used to see when I was a kid.I used to love hearing the buzzing of bees and watch them in numbers as they flew from flowr to flower.Now they are much rarer.


Oh I understand the feeling about the buzzing of the bees
I know they are also dropping
Frogs too.

What interests me is, have you noticed that increase in wild cats? I am not really fond of official news unless backed up by evidence from common people.
I ask because I don't see any increase in number of cats here in Belgrade, although there is significant increase in dogs on the loose.



posted on Jun, 11 2011 @ 04:45 PM
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Originally posted by connorromanow
reply to post by heartfulloftruth
 


any morning ill have about 15-20 sparrows in myt back yard, i have no shortage of them


Lucky you
Would it be too much if I'd ask you to share some photos of them? That would be lovely.



posted on Jun, 11 2011 @ 06:35 PM
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reply to post by heartfulloftruth
 


il try to get some, i guess



posted on Jun, 16 2011 @ 06:32 AM
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This thread has gotten me to pay more attention while outdoors and I have to say that although I thought things were normal here; I have to admit, maybe they are not!! I still see two or three sparrows on a regular basis, but there used to be dozens of them making a racket just a couple of years ago.

There is a 20' Cedar tree out there that they used to hang out in and make a horrible chatter. Lately, as I noted, there seems to be only a few and the chattering is much less. I am going to have to pay more attention in the coming months.

I haven't seen the little bright yellow birds at all this year. YesterdayI did see a rather unusual bright red bird without a crest, so I don't think it was a cardinal, calling unsuccessfully for a mate. Maybe climate is causing the normal birds to go somewhere else while new species move in. I know that tropical plants that aren't supposed to survive the winters here, did last year, and lots of seeds that fell from the so-called tropicals have germinated on their own in my garden this spring.



posted on Jun, 16 2011 @ 06:39 AM
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We have plenty here in NC where i live. It seems to me, it is tied to herbicides and pesticides used on crops. Birds like seeds, but they eat a lot of bugs for protein...with spraying...you kill the unwanted seeds, the unwanted bugs, knock out the enviroment that promotes bird populations...and then you have to keep spraying because all the posotive pest conrol bugs and birds are gone.

We do not use any chemicals, not 100% organic...the labal is all natural...but anyway...we have a large bird population here. We grow lots of sunflowers, zinnias, have a massive veggie garden...even a large cat population for the barns...and everybody here is happy...including the sparrows.



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