Poor little sparrow

[criswell]

I had a sad day yesterday as the neighbour's cat killed one of my sparrows. I have a lovely flock of busy, noisy, playful sparrows who visit my garden and I love them dearly. Yesterday one didn't fly away from the bird table when I went outside to let the rabbits out. She let me walk right up to the bird table and I could see that she was injured and had dried blood on her.

I sent a text to our local wildlife group that treats injured birds and they asked me to catch her. When I went back outside the neighbour's cat was poised on top of the wall to leap on top of the bird table, which isn't even particularly near the wall., but the cat was desperate to get the bird. I chased her away but she didn't want to go. I even chucked the rabbit's water at her and eventually she went away. I didn't manage to catch the sparrow and she flew into the holly bush. I popped back inside to for a minute to get some gloves but the sparrow was gone when I came back out. I searched for her but couldn't find her anywhere and eventually I saw that the cat was back in her own garden with the sparrow. I felt so sad for the poor little sparrow, that I couldn't save her. I don't suppose that the wildlife group would have been able to do much for her but I really didn't want the cat to get her again. She was so brave to have got away from the cat the first time, getting back on the bird table and I wish I could have done something for her.

I'm not keen on cats. I think they are cruel creatures. This cat is a particular nuisance and I chase it out of the garden when ever I see her. I have to keep the back door shut to stop her wandering into the house and she frightens the rabbits some times. I'm going to be even more strict with chasing her out of the garden now and I will be keeping a pot of water handy. I haven't seen her today. I hope she keeps out of my way for a few days.

My sparrows are so lovely. They make a wonderful noise when they all take off at once from the bird table, and when the whole flock is chirping in the tree it's marvellous. They watch me every time I go out in the garden to see if I'm going to put food out for them. The other day they were all hovering round the trampoline netting in another neighbour's garden and when I looked closely they were landing on it to eat seed. There numbers have been increasing over the last few years which I'm really pleased about. They disappeared completely a few years back after some neighbourhood trees were cut down but now we've got more than we've ever had before. We have other birds too but the sparrows are my favourites.

[OP]

Sorry to hear of the demise of your sparrow. I quite often watch them feeding at the window box. They don't have very good table manners as I have seen some of them get inside the box on the window, They are all so busy. Cats that are just left to roam day and night are a poor sign of the people that call them their pets.

[criswell]

Thanks OP. I don't think cats should be allowed to roam free. This neighbour has already had one cat run over and killed but almost straight away got another one.

[Hezz]

I am not a fan of cats either, criswell; I am sad for your sparrow, who should not have had to suffer because of a feral animal.

Good news though, that you are encouraging them to increase in numbers. Must be nice to see them gradually return to your back yard.

[Deleted]

I don’t hate cats but feel owners should be made to be more responsible for them, especially in built up areas with close neighbours. I am surrounded by cats who use my garden as their toilet which my dogs will eat if I don’t get to it first. I know that people cannot train their cats not to toilet outside (I think but I could be wrong there) but I get irritated that their cats toilet habits cost me money, either by me using my dog bags to clear up after them or buying stuff to keep them off the garden, which as I have a big garden I could easily use a bottle of stuff a time that costs £5. The neighbours must know as they see me picking up on the front and it would be a thoughtful gesture to put their hands in their pockets for once to buy me the odd packet of dog bags now and then even if we don’t know whose cat as it ain’t mine that’s for sure, I don’t have any.

In fact, cats messing in my borders is one of the main reasons I am getting rid of them and putting grass back in. I can’t let my dogs mess in people’s gardens and I have to pick up by law so it really irritates me that cats can just do as they please without any responsibility on the owners. I am all for a law for cats having to stay in overnight and the owners providing litter trays too.

[Deleted]

BTW I forgot to say sorry for the little sparrow and for you to witness his/her demise. How sad 😢

[criswell]

Oct 21, 2018 1:26:04 GMT Hezz said:

I am not a fan of cats either, criswell ; I am sad for your sparrow, who should not have had to suffer because of a feral animal.

Good news though, that you are encouraging them to increase in numbers. Must be nice to see them gradually return to your back yard.

Thank you, Hezz. I'm really pleased that there numbers are increasing too. I missed them when they disappeared for a few years. We have a tiny garden so we can't do much for other wildlife but it's nice to be able to help the birds. There are 20 back gardens that all border on each other so it makes quite a nice big space altogether. We get blue tits, great tits, blackbirds, starlings, robins, and less often finches but the sparrows dominate and they are so lovely and funny.

[criswell]

Thank you, Jane

The neighbour's cat uses our garden as a toilet too but she does bury it. A few years back there was an old cat which used to poop on the concrete which was a real nuisance. I sympathise with you having so much to clean up. Your neighbour could clean up after their own cat but they'd probably deny it was there cut that did it.

I'd go further with the law and ban cats from going outside unless it was in a secure enclosure. But changing the law wouldn't make much difference as there is no money for staff to police it.

I've just been outside and the tree is full of birds singing away. It's brilliant. It isn't actually our tree. It's at the end of the garden that backs on to ours but much of the canopy is in our garden. It blocks out a lot of our light but it's worth it to have the birds.

[Deleted]

I don’t get a lot of birds around me. I used to have sparrows nest in the eaves (as there’s some wood missinf tbat should block it) every spring but they stopped coming a few years back. I used to love hearing them sing.

[bud9]

I have just started getting sparrows in to my back garden, the garden is small but a family of 3 started coming and eating the seed i put out for them now there is 2 of them as i take it the baby flew the nest but i love watching them be messy with the seed just like my boys.

[helenmat]

Don’t get me started on cats, I’m still shooing off the neighbours cats everyday. Sorry about your sparrow. 😢

[criswell]

Oct 21, 2018 11:51:52 GMT Jane said:

I don’t get a lot of birds around me. I used to have sparrows nest in the eaves (as there’s some wood missinf tbat should block it) every spring but they stopped coming a few years back. I used to love hearing them sing.

I notice a starling going into our roof on Friday. I saw it come out again today. I hope they're not trying to raise chicks this late in the year. I don't want to go up in the loft and disturb them at the moment.

[criswell]

Oct 21, 2018 16:22:28 GMT bud9 said:

I have just started getting sparrows in to my back garden, the garden is small but a family of 3 started coming and eating the seed i put out for them now there is 2 of them as i take it the baby flew the nest but i love watching them be messy with the seed just like my boys.

It's great that you have sparrows. I was out buying more food for mine today. They really do eat a lot!  Some food ends up on the floor and I'll often find my rabbit, Jess, foraging about under the bird table eating it. She is always looking for food. I can't go outside without her coming running looking for something. Our other rabbit, Roxy, isn't interested in the bird seed but does always check if I have something nice for her.

[criswell]

Oct 21, 2018 18:48:30 GMT helenmat said:

Don’t get me started on cats, I’m still shooing off the neighbours cats everyday. Sorry about your sparrow. 😢

Thanks Helen. I've read some of your posts about the neighbour's cats. I really sympathise. I only have one to contend with. She was very wary of me today and ran off as soon as she saw me. Some days I watch from the window and she's back within minutes of me chasing her and I'll chase her again until she gets bored and wonders off to do something else.