Scotney - cool, cloudy, W4 - When I moved down here 20 years ago Tree Sparrows were common place with stable colonies on the RSPB reserve, St Mary-in-the-Marsh, Midley, Lydd and Scotney plus at a number of other locations across the Marsh and along the Royal Military Canal; we even had them on our garden bird feeders at Lydd-on-Sea in the early winters. The first three aforementioned locations not only supplied nest boxes but also a regular supply of food throughout the year but even that wasn`t enough to arrest the decline in numbers. Two decades later the only surviving known colony locally is on private farmland outback at Scotney where nest boxes have been provided with the consent of the landowner. When I visited site this morning there was activity around the colony from about 15 individuals with some of the many nesting boxes occupied; hopefully with nestlings ready to fledge, but only if the adults can supply enough invertebrate food. The landscape at Scotney is intensively farmed, mostly arable with a few heavily stocked sheep folds, plus future plans for an extensive solar panel farm and all the disturbance that is associated with it in the construction stage. Wandering around I just got the feeling that the Tree Sparrow`s days are numbered hereabouts; I hope I`m wrong, but only time will tell. On a brighter note, on the walk out at least 25 Yellow Wagtails and 10 Corn Buntings were noted plus several singing Reed Buntings, Linnets, Skylarks and Pied Wagtails, a Hobby, a Common Buzzard, a male Marsh Harrier, and on the front sward nine Whimbrels and a flock of 25 Tundra Ringed Plovers. En-route to site sunbathing Little Owls were seen at Hammonds Corner and Pigwell.
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