| Gallery: House sparrows |  |
Many of these pictures of sparrows were taken over 20 years ago when they could still be regarded as a common bird. Common certainly, but nonetheless attractive and always entertaining.
Pictures
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Many garden birds will take mealworms; especially in the breeding season when birds like this female house sparrow (Passer domesticus), normally a seed-eater, need insects for their young.
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Lovely shot of a female house sparrow (Passer domesticus) enjoying a garden bird bath.
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A close up view of the face and head markings of an immature male. Note how light the bill is in comparison to the pictures of mature males. | | Click to enlarge | |
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This bird was sunning itself, stretching and preening for some time, allowing me to get this shot. The wing markings are nicely shown. | | Click to enlarge | |
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The male house sparrow is a very attractive bird when you look closely. The russets, greys and blacks are understated but nonetheless beautiful. | | Click to enlarge | |
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I've always loved this picture. It's so atmospheric and reminds me, more than any of the others, of the sparrows in my parents garden. | | Click to enlarge | |
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She's actually eyeing up the peanuts in the feeder which is just out of shot! | | Click to enlarge | |
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They're not the most accrobatic of birds, but you can't fault them for effort. The sparrows were so abundant decades ago when this was taken that I devised a number of feeders aimed at making it harder for them to get the food that I was using to attract blue and great tits. | | Click to enlarge | |
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A female house sparrow brings a green caterpillar to a nestling waiting at the entrance to the nestbox. | | Click to enlarge | |
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A male house sparrow feeds a well-grown nestling at the entrance to the nestbox. | | Click to enlarge | |
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This image brings back strong memories for me. The nest box was just a few feet from the kitchen window and the sparrows became quite indifferent to any movement behind the glass. The male would sit on or by the nest box chirping for hours; 'advertising' for a mate. If I close my eyes I can hear the sounds and feel the warm spring sunshine even now. | | Click to enlarge | |
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