You don’t tend to think of the sparrows as acrobats, as they flock to the seed scattered on the lawn. They bounce from morsel to morsel almost as though their bodies are being drawn forward by their beaks. And a large group were bouncing around a wood pigeon for most of the morning.
The day had started quietly, suspiciously quietly, so that I scoured the ground and eventually spotted Stripey Tiger pacing the rosebed. As I reached for the window latch she spotted me and trotted off down the garden path, disappearing around the end of the shed with an insolent flick of her tail.
By the late afternoon there is not a scrap of seed left but three sparrows are clustered around the fat ball feeder. They are clinging to the wire with one foot or two, upside down and beak to tail. Behind them a solitary starling is trying to emulate a humming bird at the coconut, beating his wings furiously, with limited success…but the sparrows are secure.
thekitchensinkbirdwatcher 