Saturday 26 April 2014

Later arrivals at the Dawn Chorus

So according to wikipedia the most frequent order in which birds start singing in the morning is
Blackbird
Robin
Wren
Tawny Owl
Chaffinch
Pheasant
Warblers - Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Garden Warbler and Willow Warbler
Song thrush
Greenfinch
Dunnock
Goldfinch

But of course the birds don't always stick to the rules.

This post deals with the last three on this list, though you might also expect to hear wood pigeons, collared doves, rooks, crows, jays, woodpeckers, great tits and blue tits if you join us for our DAWN CHORUS WALK on Sunday 27th April at Flnore Woods.   Or you might just hear the rythm of the falling rain, though it looks as if it will be dry up to 7.00 am when we shall all be home eating our breakfasts. 

The Greenfinch has four or five different verses to choose from.  Sometimes he will sing the same verse over and over or mix them up in no particular order.

Greenfinch

The most distinctive is the 'wheeze' or  'fizzz', a sort of raspberry coming in to land.
Then there is  a metallic 'ching ching ching'
And lots off giggling trills at three or four different speeds


 Dunnock
 
The Dunnock has a fairly loud, gossipy  song.  It rattles along in a fussy but very jolly way.

The Goldfinch song is a very musical tinkling affair.   For the past few years there has been one singing regularly on a television aerial near my house in Thornbury High Street.  Although the song is not usually loud, it manages to compete with the traffic. 

Goldfinch
 
They used to be caught and kept in cages to entertain with their pleasing song, - which was really a sort of cry for help.    Sad.


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