For The Birds

One of the first things we did when we bought our house was to start taking apart the carport. It is unstable and just an eyesore. We removed the plywood on the underside, and that is about as far as we got. We need to put in new supports, and it only makes sense to redo the driveway at the same time.

There are now small openings which appear to be the perfect size for sparrows' nests. Over the past two years we have had several sparrows who have decided to make our carport their home. They seem harmless enough, (except for the occasional dropping on my car) and the kids enjoy listening and watching for the baby birds every spring.

I do have a new concern this winter. We have found at least 4 or 5 dead birds over the past few weeks. I can't help but wonder why they are suddenly dying. I know we have a hawk in the area, and our first thought was maybe he was killing them. But I would think he would take them and eat them if that was the case, not just leave them lying around. I wonder if they are eating something that could be making them sick? And if that is the case, should I be concerned about the dog? Maybe the problem is that they are not able to find enough food with all this snow, or perhaps it has been to cold for them this winter.

If anyone knows anything about birds, particularly sparrows, I would appreciate some answers to what could be happening to them. Eventually, the carport will be torn down, and the sparrows will lose their home. But for now, I am concerned about what could be causing them to die.