Makes me happy 2 makes me irritable 1

Bullfinches, Sparrows and other wondrous birds
My walk around the Hope Valley and Stiperstones area was one of those days that made me really glad I got out. A flock of House Sparrows around a farm reminded me what excellent birds these are. Incredibly, they have just been removed from the pest species list and are now protected like most other birds (Starlings too are now protected). So, that made me happy, but what really got me down was that things have got so bad, that the once ubiquitous Sparrow and Starling are now so diminished in numbers that they have to be protected. How depressing is that? I recall watching dozens of Sparrows dust bathing, having disputes, muscling in on the bird table and generally making a racket in the garden. This was in the 1970s, not so long ago. What the hell happened?

Elsewhere on my walk I chanced upon a cock bullfinch in a hedge. What a fabulous bird that is. Later, I came across two hen and one cock bullfinch. I was ecstatic to see them, but why should I be? Again, not so long ago, Bullfinches were everyday birds, that could turn up in the garden on a daily basis. Not so now. Where did it all go wrong?

Totally happy stuff, with no downside was the occurence of several large flocks of Redwings, a field of Fieldfares (sorry couldn't resist that), a single Snipe whizzing off out of a wet field and two Buzzards gliding low over fields, upsetting the local Rooks. Now Buzzards, there's a success story. In Shropshire, they are an almost guaranteed sighting in the countryside. We even get them soaring over gardens in Shrewsbury suburbs - excellent.

Today's verdict: All in all a happy day rather than an irritating one.