From Julie Allcock:
Amongst the 30 to 40 sparrows we currently have resident at
Far View Campsite we are frequently seeing a little fair golden coloured one. We have nicknamed her Blondie.
Have any blog readers ever come across a blonde sparrow before or is it something else that has just tagged along perhaps? We are very curious about her.
According to RSPB Scotland it could be a Leucistic Sparrow - something to do with pigment cells not forming properly.
The Diary has seen the same, or a related sparrow in a large flock near Craigard croft in Ormsaigbeg. If it's the same one, then local sparrow flocks travel long distances in their search for food.
Blondie also visits us at no 3 each morning, its a well fed bird.
ReplyDeleteYep, leucism seems the probable answer to goldie's hue. Down here for years we have had white redshank. At Caerlaverock they have a white chaffinch and in Galloway I have seen a braw white buzzard.
ReplyDelete