The Gower Tree

Sparrow Project
Newsletter Number 4, Winter 2010
The GTSP’s aim is, with the help of local landowners and managers, to aid the conservation of Gower’s tree sparrows.

The Gower Tree Sparrow Project in 2010

As always a big “Thank You!” to all the landowners on Gower, who have helped us with nest box and feeder sites in 2010.

The Tree Sparrow has been something of an enigma this year with the only known breeding site on Gower apparently being
abandoned. However, fingers crossed that we can relocate the birds in 2011.
Once again, thanks for your help, Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Andrew Lucas
On behalf of the Gower Tree Sparrow Project

Bad News for Tree Sparrows
in Glamorgan?
Sadly, we have bad news on the tree
sparrows on Gower this year. A single
bird was seen at Newton Farm in May,
but after that there were no further
sightings reported. A check during the
summer revealed no sparrows to be
breeding. The tree sparrow population
in the Vale of Glamorgan is also now
thought to be extinct.
So what's going on? Tree sparrows can
be a notoriously unpredictable, with
small colonies building up, breeding
successfully for a few years, and then
declining and disappearing. A request to
other people studying tree sparrows in
Britain this autumn brought numerous
stories of disappearing colonies. On the
other hand, the species can also have
long-term core sites where breeding
continues for many years. The large
colony in the Tywi valley near Llandeilo
is still going strong.
We may have lost our birds completely.
The colony at Newton was small, and
poor weather, or just bad luck, may have
lead to most of them dying during the
winter. However, it is just possible that
they have relocated to another part of
Gower. Since we cannot be certain that
we are helping tree sparrows, the
feeding work at Newton Farm has been
stopped. It's a long way for volunteers to
walk to see nothing!
Our efforts will now turn to trying to
relocate birds on western Gower. Let's
hope they’re out there somewhere
Nestbox news Spot the Difference!
Not only were there no tree
sparrows in the nest boxes this
year, but numbers of blue and
great tits were also down, with
70% of boxes empty. This was
probably due to the previous harsh
winter. Nationally, both species
managed to produce more young With the tree sparrow apparently
than usual in 2010, presumably AWOL on Gower, receiving
because those birds that did sightings of the species is now
survive the winter had fewer more than important than ever!
competitors during the breeding
season, and because of a warm Tree sparrows (top left) are easy
dry early summer. Nationally, tree to separate from their more
sparrow breeding success was familiar cousins the house
little different to the previous five sparrow (top right). Unlike house
years. sparrows, tree sparrows have
a completely chestnut head,
white cheek patch with a
black dot in the middle, a
white collar.
Nest of great tits Even if you are not 100% sure if
However, we will continue to you have seen tree sparrows
check nestboxes for signs of please let us know – any lead is
sparrows, although we might take welcomed!
down some boxes and move them
to other sites, to try to attract birds With your help we can confirm
in. the continued existence of the
tree sparrow on Gower
If you want any further information, or have seen tree sparrows anywhere in
Gower, please contact us:
Andrew Lucas, C/o CCW, Llys Tawe, King’s Road, Swansea, SA1 9FG (after
April, C/O Maes Newydd, Llandarcy, Neath SA10 3JQ)
Or email a.lucas@ccw.gov.uk