Give them a helping hand

Numbers of dunnocks in the UK are declining, says Val, as she reveals a few startling facts about this diminutive bird

- Val Bourne

WE do not lead an exciting life at Spring Cottage! We like to spend days in the garden, stopping for a cold drink midmorning to bask on the south-facing seat at the front of the house.

Recently we’ve been shadowed by a dunnock that has perched just 3ft (1m) away and stands stock-still. At first we thought this bird was trying to befriend us, but eventually we realised that he or she was guarding a nest in the winter-flowering clematis above our heads. We have had to abandon the seat until further notice!

The dunnock (Prunella modularis) is a sleek, greyish-brown bird with a thin pointed beak. It creeps around in the undergrowth, rather like a mouse, and in summer it feeds on small beetles, snails, spiders and flies. In winter, when its living food supply dwindles, it relies on small seeds. Our personal dunnock tops up on fat balls throughout the year.

Although known as a hedge sparrow, the dunnock isn’t a true sparrow. The BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) tells us that it belongs to a family called the Accentors. Originating in the Himalayas, these are cover-loving insectivorous birds with sharp, pointed bills.