Friday, January 04, 2008

Tree Sparrows

These are Les Midgleys records for Tree Sparrows at Jay House Lane at Clifton. Although the records are for Nick to add to the 2007 records I thought others might also be interested.

20/2/7.. 9 seen in Ox Close area

21/3/07..2 ditto
27/3/07..1 ditto
28/3/07..4 ditto

6/4/07...various adults showing interest in farm boxes
16/4/07...2 Ox Close area

9/5/07...two farm boxes being visited regularly
11/5/07...adults seen taking food into farm boxes and box on telegraph post at top of lane
12/5/07... ditto
16/5/07...adults appear to be feeding chicks in both sets of boxes
24/5/07..3 groups seen in lane, parent birds feeding between four and five fledglings in each group.

2/6/07.. 6 young birds seen on manure heap near Ox Close
9/6/07...1 bird Ox Close
27/6/07...ditto

28/7/07 1 bird Ox Close

Les also wishes to make it clear he probably saw birds on more occasions than this but these are his written records so these are the only firm records he wishes to pass on. He is unaware if any breeding success was achieved in the Ox Close House box ? His estimate of breeding success was four or perhaps five successful broods.

If possible, could others who saw Tree Sparrows in the Jay House Lane area over the year let me know their records so that I can pass these on to Les. If the conservation committee let me what specific information they require for 2008 with the Jay House Lane Tree Sparrows I will pass this onto Les as he and a mate bird watch up the Lane several times a week throughout the year depending on weather. Les is now 80 years old, so I think he's a remarkable example of how fit (he walks around 50 miles a week 52 weeks a year !) and active an interest in wildlife can keep you. He realy is a truly remarkable local naturalist who has been recording wildife for over 50 years in the area without thought of fame or rarity lists. I admire him tremedously as a pefect example of what a local natural historian should be. Finally do we have a map of the lane with the boxes marked on it ? This would be useful for Les of add records to over 2008.
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3 comments:

BSUMNER said...

Re-Public blog,Matt Bell 01/01/2008
Is it not unwise to publicize records of this nature on a public blog. BS

8:50 pm
Goldon Gordon said...

My apologies if I have committed a error here. I was not aware that Tree Sparrow information was top secret as it has been mentioned on the blog on previous occasions.Perhaps Matt can remove this if its a problem ? I will also make sure the records are not passed to the YNU recorder for publication in their annual report on sale to the public. I will be much more careful in future and include no reports of any species whatsoever on the blog until I have checked with the relevant blog authorities that it is permissible to mention the species in question, or there already a permitted and not permitted list available ? I assume that these records will not now go into the annual report placed on public sale around Calderdale either ?

9:32 pm
Nick Carter said...

Lets not get paranoid, I personally think the Tree Sparrows are probably OK on the Blog, the boxes are in private gardens/land and I doubt they are as prone to "persecution" as raptors etc. I think Brian is concerned about the possibility of eggers getting at them which I guess might be a risk but surely a very small one bearing in mind the site has been published in reports, what do others think?

7:49 pm

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