House sparrow numbers have plummeted in recent years but the reason has been a mystery. At last a new study from the RSPB has come up with some answers. In this podcast Will Peach, who led the research, talks about what they've discovered and what we can do to help this iconic bird survive in our towns and cities. Agony Aunt Clare Rayner and the Urban Birder, David Lindo add their memories and hopes for the sparrow's future.

We also get an early view of two new RSPB reserves that will open to visitors for the first time in 2009. We slip and slide through the mud at Middleton Lakes in the Midlands and preview the delights of Saltholme on Teeside.