House Sparrows

Yesterday, Friday, I again walked round to Langland Bay on the Gower Peninsula. I soon saw a group of four Choughs, a hovering Kestrel or two, and a Grey Seal in the same bit of sea as two days ago. None were close enough for any decent pictures, so I began strolling along the coastal path towards the next beach, Caswell Bay. About a mile along the picturesque path, as Caswell was just within sight, I saw a couple of small brown birds fly down into a grassy area near the cliff edge. I thought they were probably Rock Pipits, which are quite common around here, but a closer look revealed them to be - House Sparrows! Quite odd, I thought, to see a flock of these quintessential urban birds in this rural location, at least a mile from the nearest buildings. What turned out to be a flock of half-a-dozen or more birds were quite tame, and came down to perch on Gorse bushes only a few metres from where I was now seated. I managed to get this picture of a male ballet-dancing on the breeze:

This cock landed close-by, and looked curiously in my direction:

The females were just as bold:

This hen bird had a bug of some description in her bill:

A male perched on the fence bordering the coastal path:

It was great to spend a little time with these often-overlooked birds, and in such a beautiful location. Perhaps we will only appreciate them when they are gone?

I then began the journey back to Langland Bay. As I neared Langland Point, I saw a family group of more-typical coastal birds - Rock Pipits. It was clear that parent birds were feeding their newly-fledged young. I didn't manage to capture this behaviour, but I did manage these two shots: