Discussion
Is it much more prevalent this year or I have I just not been noticing previously?
I am doing more walking so it could be me, but seems to be an incredible number of birds and chicks in hedgerows at the moment. I love it.
Does it reduce in other parts of the year? (ie is it because of chicks we get it so much? so later there will be less anyway)
I am doing more walking so it could be me, but seems to be an incredible number of birds and chicks in hedgerows at the moment. I love it.
Does it reduce in other parts of the year? (ie is it because of chicks we get it so much? so later there will be less anyway)
We’re coming into the period of the year when the birds are most active, so not too surprising.
I spend a lot of time outside but am still taken aback each year by the spring birdsong, it’s a wonderful thing.
We always have a lot of birds in our garden, but the numbers feel particularly strong this year - but it could just be me noticing it more after the long winter!
I spend a lot of time outside but am still taken aback each year by the spring birdsong, it’s a wonderful thing.
We always have a lot of birds in our garden, but the numbers feel particularly strong this year - but it could just be me noticing it more after the long winter!
This is the time of year when birds are vigorously defending their territories and pairings, and singing is a big part of that.
So birdsong at this time of year roughly translates as: Oi, f
k off out of my garden! and You see her over there, she s MY bird - if I catch you even looking at my bird I ll peck your fking eyes out!
It goes much quieter in late summer onwards, when most species have finished breeding.
I try to learn at least one new birdsong every year. For some reason I hadn t realised until this year that one of the loudest songs comes from one of the smallest birds - the wren. Unbelievable how loud they are!
Many birds can vocalise when breathing in as well as breathing out, and some have a system of air sacs (a bit like bagpipes) that allow them to keep singing even while they re topping up their lungs. That s how even small birds can produce quite long songs without stopping for breath.
Without a doubt my favourite is the blackbird. Complex and tuneful enough to be interesting, but not so complex as to be overwhelming. It is just about slow enough that I can hear and process it, and I can identify the male who sings in my garden by the unique phrases that he uses. I can even track an individual bird over 2 or 3 years as he matures and his song gets a little bit richer and more diverse each year, until he presumably dies and is replaced by another individual with a whole new repertoire. Robin song is not entirely dissimilar, but it’s too fast for me to process.
So birdsong at this time of year roughly translates as: Oi, f
k off out of my garden! and You see her over there, she s MY bird - if I catch you even looking at my bird I ll peck your fking eyes out! It goes much quieter in late summer onwards, when most species have finished breeding.
I try to learn at least one new birdsong every year. For some reason I hadn t realised until this year that one of the loudest songs comes from one of the smallest birds - the wren. Unbelievable how loud they are!
Many birds can vocalise when breathing in as well as breathing out, and some have a system of air sacs (a bit like bagpipes) that allow them to keep singing even while they re topping up their lungs. That s how even small birds can produce quite long songs without stopping for breath.
Without a doubt my favourite is the blackbird. Complex and tuneful enough to be interesting, but not so complex as to be overwhelming. It is just about slow enough that I can hear and process it, and I can identify the male who sings in my garden by the unique phrases that he uses. I can even track an individual bird over 2 or 3 years as he matures and his song gets a little bit richer and more diverse each year, until he presumably dies and is replaced by another individual with a whole new repertoire. Robin song is not entirely dissimilar, but it’s too fast for me to process.
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Sunday 26th April 14:27
I can recommend the (free) Merlin Bird ID app for identifying birds from their calls (or appearance).
It's a great help in understanding what is around you, and in better learning to identify calls.
It's a great help in understanding what is around you, and in better learning to identify calls.
jeremyc said:
I can recommend the (free) Merlin Bird ID app for identifying birds from their calls (or appearance).
It's a great help in understanding what is around you, and in better learning to identify calls.
This.It's a great help in understanding what is around you, and in better learning to identify calls.
I'd say the dawn chorus is virtually non-existent compared to what it used to be.
I've been walking through the same woodland for over 20 years, at one time the dawn chorus was an absolute cacophony of noise, you could barely pick out and identify any individual bird calls or songs amongst the racket, but now all you can hear is just a few individual birds singing.
I've been walking through the same woodland for over 20 years, at one time the dawn chorus was an absolute cacophony of noise, you could barely pick out and identify any individual bird calls or songs amongst the racket, but now all you can hear is just a few individual birds singing.
I downloaded the Merlin app when we were on holiday in Tuscany as I wanted to identify the type of bird making a very distinctive noise in the early evening. We spent a couple of hours wrestling with the app and had absolutely no luck in getting it to identify the bird.
We found out a couple of days later that it was a toad.
We found out a couple of days later that it was a toad.
I set a up a Pi running birdnet in the shed with the mic dnagled out the window, 98% Corvids 
mostly because there are a lot nearby and they are very loud.
I often whip out my phone when walking the dog, you soon learn the difference between stone chats and chiff chaff and yellowhammers.
mostly because there are a lot nearby and they are very loud. I often whip out my phone when walking the dog, you soon learn the difference between stone chats and chiff chaff and yellowhammers.
Geo900 said:
I'd say the dawn chorus is virtually non-existent compared to what it used to be.
I've been walking through the same woodland for over 20 years, at one time the dawn chorus was an absolute cacophony of noise, you could barely pick out and identify any individual bird calls or songs amongst the racket, but now all you can hear is just a few individual birds singing.
Dawn chorus here is deafening! Gloucestershire Cotswolds village. I've been walking through the same woodland for over 20 years, at one time the dawn chorus was an absolute cacophony of noise, you could barely pick out and identify any individual bird calls or songs amongst the racket, but now all you can hear is just a few individual birds singing.
I moved late last year and our new garden is surrounded on all 3 sides by woodland, then fields behind. I'm really enjoying sitting out and listening to the birds. Highest number of different birds was 19 in under 15 mins, which I was pretty impressed with. That was using the Merlin app.
jeremyc said:
I can recommend the (free) Merlin Bird ID app for identifying birds from their calls (or appearance).
It's a great help in understanding what is around you, and in better learning to identify calls.
My wife and her friend were using something similar a while back, so I snuck upstairs and played the call of a blue footed booby out the window.It's a great help in understanding what is around you, and in better learning to identify calls.
Unfortunately her app only identified European birds
omniflow said:
I downloaded the Merlin app when we were on holiday in Tuscany as I wanted to identify the type of bird making a very distinctive noise in the early evening. We spent a couple of hours wrestling with the app and had absolutely no luck in getting it to identify the bird.
We found out a couple of days later that it was a toad.
We found out a couple of days later that it was a toad.
Showed the Mrs and she had a good chuckle too.
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