Bob W wrote:
during the summer I saw a couple of exotic birds on a pavement in Southwark. When I approached them they flew up a tree where they remained for quite a long time before flying out of sight. They were not parrots, but had (iirc) blue, red, green and yellow plumage.
European Bee eater? http://www.birdfoto.fsnet.co.uk/beeeater/beeeater.html We even had a pair nesting here last year.
The sparrow population in England has collapsed in recent years. Perhaps they all evolved into something exotic and we never noticed.
I suspect the answer is rather more prosaic......
mike
