Fight on to save tree sparrows

CONSERVATIONISTS protecting Hertfordshire's only tree sparrow colony are trying to move the birds before their home just outside St Albans is destroyed by quarrying. The colony, to the east of Coursers Road near Colney Heath, has grown to about 100 birds in recent years with the help of food and nest boxes provided by a group of volunteers.

Tree sparrows have suffered a catastrophic long-term decline across Britain, and without the Coursers Road colony would be virtually extinct in Hertfordshire. But the location has been ear-marked for gravel extraction by the county council, and mechanical diggers are likely to be excavating the area by 2013.

Jim Terry, who has been co-ordinating the project, said: "The footprint of the extraction will cover the present site with a date for 2013 as the demise date. The action plan, a Herts Bird Club initiative, is focused on establishing sites away from the extraction area and this has been underway since 2000. To date, feeding winter feeding sites have been established and a further nest box site established. Two other sites where natural sites are being used have been identified as possible nest box sites in due course."

Tree sparrows appear to be nesting this year at Tyttenhanger Farm, and have recently been reported at Beech Farm off Hatfield Road, site of a former colony.

RSPB national spokesman Grahame Madge said: "The RSPB hopes that the resiting of nest boxes will allow the county's last remaining population of tree sparrows to thrive, especially as members of the county bird club have invested so much effort into protecting them. The tree sparrow would formerly have been a widespread resident across Hertfordshire but, unfortunately, changes in farming practice have driven the bird from many of its former haunts, here as well as other parts of Britain."

Alex Lewis, St Albans Observer