Country: The sad demise of the sparrow; Numbers of house sparrow have declined by 62pc.Byline: John Dempsey MODERN garden design, unleaded petrol, the loss of winter stubble fields, sparrowhawks, blocked eaves,cats, pesticides,magpies and global warming have all been blamed at one time or another for causing the problem. Garden make over shows on TV often lay waste to bushes and feeding areas, unleaded petrol may damage insect food populations,nesting sites are disappearing,and cats,added to natural predators,account for millions fewer birds each year. The Government has even published a leaflet for those in the south east who want to help with the problem,and just about the only things that haven't been implicated so far are reality TV shows. But before ``I'ma House Sparrow... Get Me Out Of Here'' hits the screens, theMerseyside Biodiversity Group has carried out a wide ranging survey to find out how many house sparrows are actually left in our area. Those who still have these ever- chirping companions around their homes will wonder what the fuss is about,but the fact is that between 1970 and 1999 there was a 62pcdecline in the number of house sparrows in the UK. The local survey,based on observations of house fronts and streets in 2001 and 2002,estimates a population in urban Merseyside of 11,400 pairs, with very few birds in the area 2-3 kmaround the Pier Head,and surprisingly low numbers in south Liverpool too, where there is more greenery and suitable habitat. St Helens had good numbers,as did the outer suburbs of the city from Crosby to Fazakerley and Croxteth to Kirkby. Added to an estimated 20,600 pairs in urban Lancashire, the house sparrow can be said to number about 32,000 pairs in the northern part of our region. It may sound a lot but don't forget, if 62pcof the country's house sparrows can disappear in just under 30 years,how many will be left in 2034? We still don't know exactly why the sparrows are going,but I suspect it is a combination of the factors mentioned earlier. Given the choice between decking on the patio or a colony of spadgers, I know which I'dchoose. Next on the Merseyside Biodiversity Group's ``todo'' list is a survey of frogs, toads and newts in our gardens. Natterjacks toads are closely studied at sites in North Wales, Wirral and Sefton,and the discovery of great crested newt The Great crested newt, Northern crested newt or Warty newt, Triturus cristatus, is a newt in the family Salamandridae. Distribution Its range extends from Great Britain and Brittany in the west across much of Europe north of the Alps and the Black colonies is always the source of celebration amongst conservationists and despair amongst developers. But the newly formed (should that be spawned?) North Merseyside Amphibian and Reptile Group, supported by the Merseyside Biodiversity Group, want to find out what's in our garden ponds. They want to learn where our commoner frogs, toads and newts reside. To find out how you can help (apart from suggesting snappier names for these organisations),don't miss next Saturday's column. I promise you won't need wellies, nets on bamboo canes or jam-jars. You wouldn't know it from the biting northerly winds,but spring continues to advance, withPeter Tipping finding the star-shaped golden blooms of many lesser celandines in the Netherley area, where he heard great spotted woodpecker The Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) is a member of the woodpecker family, Picidae. Habitat It is distributed throughout Europe and northern Asia. It is largely resident except in the colder regions of its range. drumming last weekend. The fresh young leaves of lesser celandine lesser celandine n. A Eurasian plant (Ranunculus ficaria) having heart-shaped leaves, solitary yellow flowers, and tuberous roots. Noun 1. ,also known as pilewort (don't ask!), smallwort or figwort figwort, common name for some members of the Scrophulariaceae, a family comprising chiefly herbs and small shrubs and distributed widely over all continents. The family includes a few climbing types and some parasitic and saprophytic forms. , are rich in vitamin C and were used to treat scurvy scurvy, deficiency disorder resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in the diet. Scurvy does not occur in most animals because they can synthesize their own vitamin C, but humans, other primates, guinea pigs, and a few other species lack an enzyme in the past. The leaves would ensure sweet dreams apparently if boiled with white wine and honey and drunk before bedtime. Large clumps of chromium yellow coltsfoot finally flower at Marshside and dandelion dandelion [Eng. form of Fr.,=lion's tooth], any plant of the genus Taraxacum of the family Asteraceae (aster family), perennial herbs of wide distribution in temperate regions. heads shine on many roadside verges. The earliest spring gannet gannet: see booby. gannet Any of three oceanic bird species (family Sulidae) closely related to the booby. Gannets are found in the North Atlantic, where they are the largest seabirds, and in temperate waters around Africa, Australia, and New in six years flew past Barry McCarthy at Formby Point, where a high tide count revealed 90 red throated divers, 35 great crested grebes and two long tailed ducks. Bob Hughes reports three young mistle thrushes in Chavasse Park, Liverpool, where his two chiffchaffs still linger. Don't give upon winter just yet,as down the Dee at Fiddlers Ferry,four iceland and two glaucous glau·cous adj. 1. Of a pale grayish or bluish green. 2. Botany Covered with a grayish, bluish, or whitish waxy coating or bloom that is easily rubbed off: glaucous leaves. gulls put on an impressive white-wing showing. To send in an item of news for the column,call John Dempsey on 0151 472 2408,or e- mail him at john.dempsey@liverpool.com CAPTION(S): House sparrow numbers have dropped by 62pc in just under 30 years |
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