Tree Sparrow ( Passer montanus )

Recently I had reason to go back through my blips and I realised how many bird photos I have posted in the past.  So I thought I had better rectify the situation.

Tree Sparrows are another of my favourite birds.  Probably because we didn't get them near where I lived and I saw my first while on honeymoon.  We saw a large flock of birds feeding on a ploughed field.  I got the binoculars on them and said "just Sparrows".  I was on the point of lowering the binoculars when I thought, hang on they are all male.  Then it dawned on me, they were Tree Sparrows.

Sadly I am unlikely to see such a huge flock again.  Numbers of TS fel in the latter part of the 20th century.  They have recovered a little but now if you see a Tree Sparrow remember that in the 70s there were 20 for every one you see today.