Humble house sparrows roosting in Spain evoke a childhood memory

Summary

Forget the hoopoes and the ring-necked parakeets, the highlight of our trip was a sound I hadn’t heard for 50 years As dusk falls on a warm October evening, I gradually become aware of a strange, high-pitched sizzling noise. From our table outside a busy bar, with Spaniards celebrating their national holiday, it reminds me of water carelessly tossed into a scorching frying pan. I approach a bougainvillea bush decked with rich purple flowers, and the collective clamour separates into distinct notes. I realise I am listening to hundreds – perhaps thousands – of house sparrows, each bird calling…

Description from The Guardian.