Splash And Dash, 15th October 2008

I did a quick splash and dash feed at Moss House Farm today on my way home from work. It was a fairly blustery afternoon so I didn't hang around too long. Approximately 80 Tree Sparrows were feeding at the station. I say 80, because they are difficult to count at this location. The feeding station is on track that runs along the north of an east-west running Hawthorn hedge. Seed is dumped onto the track and the birds can feed and then fly into cover if need be. As you walk down the track to feed you are constantly flushing the birds and this gives you the opportunity to count them. However, you can only count the birds that go straight up or fly north out of the hedge to cross a small field to an adjacent hedge. Any birds that 'drop out' of the back of the hedge and fly along it are missed. Therefore the counts I record are bare minimums and in reality could easily be at least half again or sometimes double.

The only other birds of note were a Grey Wagtail near the barn where I store the food, 13 Skylarks, 9 Long-tailed Tits and a lone Whooper Swan.

I must take some pictures of the site so you can see for yourselves what the habitat is like.

Tree Sparrow