House Sparrows

The car park of the out of town shopping centre is empty apart from my car. I haven’t bought anything and the shops are now shut; I’ve just parked there to go on a nature walk.

As I return, my camera is heavy, my feet are tired and I’m ready for a drink and a bite to eat. All that is forgotten when I see a small flock of House Sparrows busy in the bushes:

Modern technology is yesterday’s science fiction. Here’s my 1970s drawing as a 12 year old boy:

Here’s what the RSPB say:

“House sparrow numbers were not monitored adequately before the mid-1970s. Since then, numbers in rural England have nearly halved while numbers in towns and cities have declined by 60 per cent. Because of these large population declines, the house sparrow is now red-listed as a species of high conservation concern.”
Read more here.”

Since the mid-1970s the human population has doubled.

What awaits future 12 year olds and future Sparrows? It’s up to us.