Now I know where these little fellers are. The odd handful do lurk on the new Port Marine estate but the older West Hill area has dozens of sparrers, maybe a hundred. Further evidence that modern buildings don’t suit them?
Likewise starlings. We have had a flock round here over the last few weeks but West Hill again has many more. That estate looks like what I would call post-war. It has chimneys and stuff but I suppose the house’s materials are key to the species they get. Or perhaps they’re just decaying sufficiently.
They also have mature gardens. As I sit here in the new development, I can basically see bricks, tiles, plaster and glass with the odd smudge of greenery. I remember Harestock, where I grew up in Winchester, looked like this and am always amazed to drive through it today. It’s almost sylvan.
It’ll be interesting to see how Port Marine fares in forty years.
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