Sparras

This I believe is a female House Sparrow.

When I was a boy "sparras" were everywhere. Now the RSPB tells us that in England House Sparrows have declined by 71% between 1977 and 2008. But in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland there has apparently been a small increase over the same period. Now how would you try to explain that I wonder?

Anyway round here there isn't half as many as there was a while ago.