nature notes II

[SusanDoris]

Could someone here please answer the following bird song question: do the females of dunnocks, robins, song thrushes, blackbirds, green finches, chaffinches, blue tits, great tits, goldcrests, i.e. all the birds I'm hearing at the moment when I walk to town, sing the same song as the males?

Any information will be much appreciated

P.S. I think I have only heard one chaffinch so far this year.

[Enki]

Hi Susan,

As far as I know it's almost always the male songbird which sings, although sometimes the female(e.g. blackbird) can produce a very muted subsong. The reason usually is that the male advertises its territory to females by singing. That is why, in Spring especially, it is the males which are most often seen. For instance, in Lesvos(where I often visit) the male black headed bunting sings incessantly. often in a prominent position. I have seen numerous black headed buntings and never seen a female singing. It is true however that with some species it is hard to tell males from females. Dunnocks, goldcrests, great tits for instance fall into that category. However chaffinches and blackbirds are easy to tell apart, and I have never noticed a female chaffinch or a female blackbird singing. Hope that helps.

[wigginhall]

Heard some skylarks a couple of weeks ago, and the guy in the local nursery looked at me very suspiciously when I told him.  'Where do you live?' he scowled, and when I told him the very remote area, he scowled even more.   Well, I did. 

[SusanDoris]

enki

Thank you very much. I thought that was probably the case. I'm so glad I learnt to distinguish the songs quite a long time ago. 

[wigginhall]

Good collection there, Susan.  Greenfinches have been devastated in London, I used to hear them all over the place, not now.  Supposed to be a virus.

[SusanDoris]

Good collection there, Susan.  Greenfinches have been devastated in London, I used to hear them all over the place, not now.  Supposed to be a virus.

I think this area was fairly lucky as far as the greenfinches were concerned. I notice there are more song thrushes this year; there appear to be about six just on my short walk into town.

[SusanDoris]

What about wrens? Do both male and female birds sing similar songs? The RSPB's page on wrens doesn't say.

[Rhiannon]

I found a slow worm yesterday, on the edge of a bank next to a busy main road. Never seen one before. I moved him to safety. Absolutely beautiful creature. I'm now showing everyone I talk to the pic of him on my phone.

[Enki]

What about wrens? Do both male and female birds sing similar songs? The RSPB's page on wrens doesn't say.

Male and female wrens are hard to tell apart. However at this time of year it is more than likely that any loud far carrying wren song is from a male advertising its territory and trying to attract a female. Again, I believe, females have been known to produce a rather more muted song at times though.

[SusanDoris]

Thank you, enki.

[Rhiannon]

We once had wrens nesting in the ivy on our bird cherry - it was only a few feet up and the perfect height for my kids to watch the chicks grow into scruffy teenagers.

Apparently the male wren makes several nests and the female chooses which she likes most which he then finishes off. However, he often has more than one partner on the go at a time. This is possibly why for a while both birds were there but in the end it was just one doing all the feeding.

[Aruntraveller]

However, he often has more than one partner on the go at a time

Surely it can't be the little Wren behaving thus - more likely to be this bird:


https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/s/shag/index.aspx

[Enki]

Sounds like a regular little nutcracker to me!

[SusanDoris]

I am of course paying attention to bird song whenever I'm out. to check which is which, I have just listened to Greenfinch (on the RSP B website) and it gives only the drawn-out wheeeeeze for that. On the same page a little further down was the Sisskind, and I think I might well have been thinking they were the Greenfinches,  because the Sisskind sounds as if it is the one which chatters in between wheezes. Is this correct?

I have also listened again to the Goldfinnch. Its song has a similarity to the chaffinch, hasn't it? I'm hoping to be able to distinguish Goldfinches this year!
Very few Chaffinches around here so far.

[Enki]

Here is a useful website for comparing the songs of the various finches. I don't know how easily you may be able to use it though.

http://www.british-birdsongs.uk/siskin/

To activate the song you simply click on the large red circle with the white triangle in the middle to hear the song of the siskin.

Lower down are the songs of the other finches you described.

Good luck!

[SusanDoris]

Thank you. I find I can put into google,  e.g. 'RSPB Sisskind' and a link comes up, with an audio link.

I'll have a word with Dave-at-the-gym next week!

[ekim]

Masses of tadpoles about at present and I nearly stepped upon an adder which was resting on a path today.  March seems early for adders.  I suppose I shall start picking up my usual quota of deer ticks soon.

[SusanDoris]

Re: Goldfinches and Goldcrests.

Can anyone tell me how far these birds are likely to venture from nests when feeding their chicks in order to find food? I ask because there are not many pine trees around here so I am not sure whether I'm hearing these birds or not.  And I can't find the relevant information on the RSPB sites for them.

[Enki]

Malta has a horrendous record of trapping and killing birds, especially migrant birds at this time of year. In direct contravention of EU directives, it carries on with this activity, and the EU seems powerless to stop it.

On 18th April Chris Packham and his film crew were involved in an incident, where, as he was filming evidence of suspected illegal bird trapping on Gozo, two men began to be aggressive towards his film crew. The police then intervened and immediately took the side of the aggressors and manhandled Chris and his crew off the site. He was later charged with using force with an intent to 'insult, annoy or hurt them'. He appeared in court on 20th April, and was quickly found not guilty.

http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=6322

It is a sad reminder that such illegal bird trapping and killing still goes on, sometimes with the full connivance of the local police.

[floo]

A fairly large bird flew over me this morning; I couldn't work out what it was, as I had never seen one like that before. It had a long thin beak and large almost oval shaped white wings. Has anyone any ideas what it might have been?

[Sebastian Toe]

A fairly large bird flew over me this morning; I couldn't work out what it was, as I had never seen one like that before. It had a long thin beak and large almost oval shaped white wings. Has anyone any ideas what it might have been?

An egret?

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/egret-play-waterland-44676355?src=yfhKjTuAoWrbKhRCptzjuQ-1-26

[floo]

That is a possibility, but I don't think its legs were that long.

[Sebastian Toe]

Maybe a little egret then or even a heron.

[floo]

Maybe a little egret then or even a heron.

Could be a heron, I suppose. I hope I see it again.

[wigginhall]

A young robin was following us around on the allotment, I guess looking for food, and allowed us within several feet.   I thought that this is evidence that this is innate, as I don't think the young ones would have time to learn it from adults.   I suppose this is properly called 'commensalism'.