Ye Colonial Byrdes

Hello everyone! Thanks for waiting while my lovely and gracious Jennifer and I took a four day Anniversary trip out of town. This year we spent time at Colonial Williamsburg (and two James River plantations) in Virginia. It was natural for me to be aware of the birds as we perambulated through the vast CW complex. And it was urban fare for certain. Our colonial byrdes (a little 18th century spelling there) seemingly consisted almost entirely of (a) Common Grackles, in large, unruly flocks, (b) European Starlings (or snarlings as my friend Deb in Oregon would say), (c) occasional bad-tempered Northern Mockingbirds, and (d) worst of all these guys (in photo). ENGLISH SPARROWS. Many, many English Sparrows. In fact this was the only species I observed using one of Williamsburg's famous "Bird Bottles" on the site. Now, it is certain that when the bird bottle was devised in the 17whatevers that English Sparrows were not the target bird (this species was unleashed on Americans in the 1850s). The literature that comes with the bottle references a 1752 ad for "Martin pots." The Purple Martins (or other swallows) are surely in less urban districts these days, and the English Sparrows have presumably driven out competition for nesting options along Duke of Gloucester Street. The CW Foundation could restore a great many things from the 1770s, but we can't restore the mix of birds. Happily it was a delightful visit otherwise and I am ready for spring birding.