Time to brush up on bird song
Last spring I wrote series of blog posts, 50 in all, about bird song – we were all in lockdown and people were listening more. The blogs went down very well.
Well, now is a good time to revise, or simply start, listening to bird song and getting to recognise the species involved. Of course, you don’t have to know what species you are listening to in order to enjoy it – but I think it does add a little to the experience if you do.
Now is the time because there aren’t that many species singing now and that will help you get to grips with them. As time goes on over the next couple of months, more and more species will be added to the chorus, and the amount of singing will peak in April (I guess) but that is the most confusing time if you don’t already have your ear in. So start now.
When I walked to the post box, in the dark, at 6am this morning I heard three of the following five species singing in my small market town surrounds in rural Northants (and the other two were singing while I was in the garden this morning). You will probably be able to hear at least a couple of them even if you live in the biggest city. So here are five species, and the posts tell you something about the birds but also links to the wonderful xenocanto website where you can listen to their songs too. Good luck!
- Robin – click here (they sing all through the winter, are often singing before first light, and are found almost everywhere – nice song too (plaintive)
- Blackbird – click here (a brilliant, simply brilliant, melodious song – I stopped for a while to listen to one this morning and it set the day up!)
- Song Thrush – click here (very accomplished, beloved of poets, and easy to recognise)
- Dunnock – click here (it’s an OK song)
- Great Tit – click here (everywhere, loud, easy to recognise)
Good luck! I’ll give you some more in early March.
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