Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Chirps from the sparrow tree


One of the things that always makes me smile is driving past a "sparrow tree" in the early evening and hearing the loud chirps of all the young birds assembled there. It's almost like they're talking excitedly about their day.

The first time I noticed this was years ago by the old Roseville Theater. There were trees along the side street where flocks of sparrows would gather.  It always reminded me of a friendly neighborhood pub where folks would gather at the end of the day to chat. (I have thought that The Sparrow Tree would be a great name for a pub.)

Anyway, that theater and a few other businesses were torn down a few years ago and the sparrow trees were cut down. (The indiscriminate carnage of trees by construction companies is one of my pet peeves!) I felt really bad at the loss of the roosting trees and the friendly chirping.

I have since discovered that the sparrows moved to the big shrubs along Larpenteur Street by the California Drive apartments near Lexington. If you're looking for a lively "evensong", check it out around suppertime.

I have an affinity for sparrows. Like me, they are descended from immigrants and have unintentionally crowded out the natives. They are lowly, common birds but very resourceful. Sparrows will occupy urban niches where few other birds can live. In fact, for many urban children, the only birds they ever encounter are sparrows and pigeons.

Sparrows are hardy and prolific and now flourish all over the world. In the process, they are slowly evolving according to the climate and food resources available. So, I guess the future of the lowly sparrow is a story in progress whether we like it or not!

13 comments:

Teresa Evangeline said...

This is such a good post. I, too, cannot abide by "the indiscriminate carnage of trees." I hope we can return to a world where nature has more recognition for all it offers us. Teresa

Pearl said...

I love the little birdies. :-)

Pearl

Anonymous said...

We have sparrows here, of course, and one took over the blue bird house but in spite of his daily and almost hourly performances, he hasn't been able to attract a willing female companion. I suspect that means no baby birds in the blue bird house again this year.

Holly, the Old Western Gal said...

HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW.

I love those birdies too!

Nancy/BLissed-Out Grandma said...

I live maybe a mile from those apartments...I'll have to check out the evensong. I get quite a serenade from within a couple of big evergreens near the parking lot at work...have always assumed they are sparrows but never see them!

gayle said...

I am listening to the birds sing!! I love it. My dad loved to watch the birds!

Barbara Blundell said...

We don't see many sparrows round here. At the moment there are lots of blackbirds fighting for a prime nesting spot in the hawthorn hedge at the bottom of our garden .It's a good billet because they also get breakfast every morning

Kittie Howard said...

Ohhhh, Ms Sparrow, but I'm with ya. It's a really big pet peeve of mine, the cutting down of trees just to please corporate greed. Deplore the practice. Soooo bad! I echo Teresa, we've got to return to a world where there's respect for nature. Gotta, I mean, we've gotta!!!

Joanna Jenkins said...

I'm with you on the indiscriminate carnage of trees-- it breaks my heart.

So glad you found where the sparrows moved to.

Cheers,
jj

Greener Bangalore said...

love this post Ms Sparrow...yes sparrows are moving out in a phased manner...i hardly see sparrows anymore in cities.....its sad.....i had posted something about sparrows....you can check it here as you are an enthusiast.....and yes thanks for your comment...keep visiting...

http://bangalorea2z.blogspot.com/2009/12/sparrow.html

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

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