The evening chorus.

[robtherake]

Maybe it's the time of year, with the sap rising and the birds and bees busy doing what they do, but at close of day (at my allotment, though it could be anywhere, which is why I've posted this here) the song of a few birds begins to swell until it's louder than the ambient noise from the nearby town. I take a radio to the garden, turned low, and went to raise the volume because it was getting difficult to hear the DJ, then twigged what was happening and turned it off to listen to the "evening chorus."

It's not the first time I've noticed this phenomenon, but it's certainly the most impressive example so far. The presence of so many areas of cover seems to give the birds a confidence boost, despite the occasional raid by a sparrowhawk from the wood, just a stone's throw away. There were robins, wrens, blackbirds, tits, warblers and finches, plus others that I couldn't identify from song alone. The singing swelled and swelled until it was an all-out attack on the senses, yet every distinct thread could be picked out individually. One of those life-affirming moments where you feel completely "plugged-in" to the natural world. Religion doesn't move me, but the phrase (a line of poetry,) "One is nearer to God's heart in a garden than any where else on Earth" was never so true. A spiritual experience, without a doubt.

 

[barbelboi]

We have a copse in the field at the bottom of the garden that runs right up to our rear fence and since the leaf cover returned the trees are alive with 'noisy' birds during the evening.

Not sure if we have a dawn chorus here though..........

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

I was sitting in the back garden tonight, fields right behind my garden and a tree line next to the fence. Always birds singing this time of year, and the morning chorus is great to listen to. Couple of Goldfinches in the garden this afternoon, and they have been appearing more and more over the last couple of years,

Just before i came in, the Bats were flying around. Robin will be in the garden in the morning, sitting on the fence singing his head off.

 

[no-one in particular]

My dawn chorus is about a hundred seagulls squawking at 6 in the morning, wakes me up every day, lovely that harsh vibrant sound, like a baby on steroids, poetry don't come into it. If you have ever wondered why I post early, its not me with a fine constitution; its 7.17 and they are as I write giving me a rendition of the devils symphony.. Trying to hear a robin or two above that racket is a bit difficult; they will be trying to nest soon on the balcony right out side my bedroom window. Nice when they nest, they puke up all over their young and my balcony; bless em. Its not a sparrow hawk I need, I like sparrows , its a seagull hawk, maybe one of those sea eagles with a 6ft wingspan will do.
Apart from that, love a bit of bird song, the finest I heard was right next to a black cap in a bush once, 3 ft away giving it all. something to behold that was, amazing.

 

[mikench]

I could not agree more. Unfortunately all I can hear at the moment are wood pigeons! Let us hope we will soon hear the sound of a cuckoo or nightingale

 

[thecrow]

Before moving we had a lot of songbirds in the garden but now even though we have trees right outside our bungalow most feathered things we see are Crows some evenings there are 10/12 in the tree outside its like a scene from hitchcocks The Birds.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

In the last couple of weeks where I live we have been treated to the most magnificent dawn chorus, but in the evenings the birds don't seem to be nearly so loud . . . .


robtherake, that line is from D.F, Gurney's poem . . . God's Garden:

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's Heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on Earth.

 

[rayner]

We only seem to hear them in the morning.
Recently been watching two Magpies nest building at the bottom of our garden, can't see the nest now with all the leaf cover.

 

[robtherake]

Before moving we had a lot of songbirds in the garden but now even though we have trees right outside our bungalow most feathered things we see are Crows some evenings there are 10/12 in the tree outside its like a scene from hitchcocks The Birds.

Perhaps they're long lost relatives?

---------- Post added at 18:10 ---------- Previous post was at 18:02 ----------

My dawn chorus is about a hundred seagulls squawking at 6 in the morning, wakes me up every day...
Apart from that, love a bit of bird song, the finest I heard was right next to a black cap in a bush once, 3 ft away giving it all. something to behold that was, amazing.

For a seaside town, we're a bit lacking in seagulls, but there are very few fishing boats here: seagulls and fishing boats go together like jam and bread. What they do can hardly be described as singing, as you've pointed out, yet I really like it. Of course, my opinion might be a bit different if I had a few hundred as my alarm clock.

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

Before moving we had a lot of songbirds in the garden but now even though we have trees right outside our bungalow most feathered things we see are Crows some evenings there are 10/12 in the tree outside its like a scene from hitchcocks The Birds.

You should come round here Crow. In the fields behind my house there is a copse by the stream, there must be 100 or more Crows there at times. They are quick to have a go at the Red Kites and Buzzards when they are around.

I have no shortage of Crow quill's, thats the only good thing about them.

There are now 3 different pairs of Owls also, Tawny, Barn and Little Owl, don't see the Barn Owls unless I am out at first light. The Tawny often sits in the trees at my back fence. The Little owls i see just about anytime of day i walk over the fields.

 

[tigger]

I reckon the birds in my garden give one of the nosiest chorus's at dawn or dusk in the country!

 

[sumtime]

Like mark, we too get the squawking of seagulls every morning, like the Luftwaffe dropping poo bombs everywhere.
It's a bird I'm not very enamoured with.

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

In the evening it's easy to pick out the chatter of blackbirds

 

[barbelboi]

What's a dawn chorus...........

 

[robtherake]

Popped up tonight to water-up and close the greenhouses, expecting to be serenaded again...........not a single flippin' song, just a lone blackbird chack-chack-chacking in the undergrowth. Work that one out.

Edit - I had Radio 6 on tonight; maybe they preferred the classical music that was playing on Wednesday evening.

 

[no-one in particular]

For a seaside town, we're a bit lacking in seagulls, but there are very few fishing boats here: seagulls and fishing boats go together like jam and bread. What they do can hardly be described as singing, as you've pointed out, yet I really like it. Of course, my opinion might be a bit different if I had a few hundred as my alarm clock.

We have a boat fleet Rob, so your probably right. The first week I moved here in a flat on a hill I hang out of the window to see the Red Arrows who were flying over on the carnival day, every seagull took to the air and the sky went black, it was like Armageddon and they have been shitting on me ever since.

I do admire them as one of the worlds great adapters-survivors though. Just wish they were Nightingales or something; something pleasant to wake up to at 6 in the morning instead of a squawking - puking machine..Glad you find it amusing, I will put some dead ones in a box and send them to you.

 

[sumtime]

Today I decided to mow the lawns front/side and back and trim the ivy.
After the mowing I began to trim the top of the ivy with the small sheers to stop it climbing over the side wall when I heard some tweeting.

On the rear fence there is a blackbird that regularly lays it's eggs in that area but it's a first to hear anything at the side, I stopped then all was quiet as my ears were almost touching the plant. I began trimming again and the tweeting started after a few minutes, I realised my sheers was doing the tweeting needing some oil. mg:

It's my age or the medication I'm on.

 

[binka]

Today I decided to mow the lawns front/side and back and trim the ivy.
After the mowing I began to trim the top of the ivy with the small sheers to stop it climbing over the side wall when I heard some tweeting.

On the rear fence there is a blackbird that regularly lays it's eggs in that area but it's a first to hear anything at the side, I stopped then all was quiet as my ears were almost touching the plant. I began trimming again and the tweeting started after a few minutes, I realised my sheers was doing the tweeting needing some oil. mg:

It's my age or the medication I'm on.

Priceless, Rob!

Just realised it wasn't Rob that posted that... Still priceless though

 

[daniel121]

Not a massive fan of birds, of the feathered variety anyway

However I must admit listening to birds singing in a morning while smelling the morning due in the air - it's not a bad life is it? It's Strange how the human brain associates noises with emotion and experiences, a wood pigeon makes me think of a certain pond from the 70's and 80's early morning tench fishing. It's a lovely memory too

 

[robtherake]

Today I decided to mow the lawns front/side and back and trim the ivy.
After the mowing I began to trim the top of the ivy with the small sheers to stop it climbing over the side wall when I heard some tweeting.

On the rear fence there is a blackbird that regularly lays it's eggs in that area but it's a first to hear anything at the side, I stopped then all was quiet as my ears were almost touching the plant. I began trimming again and the tweeting started after a few minutes, I realised my sheers was doing the tweeting needing some oil. mg:

It's my age or the medication I'm on.

Reminds me of the VW advert. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF-KJ5-KNQk