Tree Sparrow ( Passer montanus )

Until a couple of weeks ago birds appearing in the garden came mainly in singles.  For the last couple of weeks they have been in twos.  It must be spring!  Today we had a couple of Tree Sparrows.  I have to say a couple i.e. two as you have to be another Tree Sparrow to tell male from female, unless of course it is a female brooding and you have her in your hands.  Then the brood patch, an area of either bare skin or reduced feathers gives the fact they are female away.

Getting two TS was very pleasing for quite a long time now all I have seen has been a single.  TS are in decline.  In the past I have had 15 on the bird table together.  It is calculated that for every TS around today there were 20 in the 70s.

For anyone not familiar with Tree Sparrows they differ from the House Sparrow in a number of very obvious ways.  The crown is chestnut as opposed to the House Sparrow male where it is grey.  Only male HS can be mistaken for TS.  The white cheek with a black spot as seen here separates the two species.  Also the black bib on the TS is much smaller than that on a male HS.