This song of the summer is so loud
ONE thing many people have noticed during the pandemic restrictions has been the tremendous bird song.
Are birds singing louder?
Well, yes, they certainly were during lockdown, especially the early stages when traffic was down, down, down.
“No competition guys, let’s let rip!”
And yet the soundtrack certainly hasn’t quietened during spring 2021 – I wake every morning to listen to an astonishing dawn chorus.
Robins and blackbirds start loud and proud and then great tits and blue tits join in and in come the chattering starlings causing a real racket.
I heard a funny story from my neighbour this week, her cat Chloe won’t wander out of the cat flap because of the noise that the starlings are making.
We are visited by some 30 starlings at the moment, many of them are youngsters and they will shout out for their food.
The dawn chorus isn’t the end of the noise and yesterday evening I listened to four blackbirds just shouting out to each other from rooftops and treetops.
We have also had a lot of people hearing cuckoos in the woods and on the moors.
Pretty much every day this week I have been listening to “cuckoo, cuckoo” from near and far.
Salford birding legend Dave Steel has also noticed the noise: “It has become clear to me that the increase in volume of bird songs of summer were not as a consequence of my tuneless whistling as I parked up my car on Barton Moss.
“I usually use this awful mix of poorly whistled notes to drown out the noise of the traffic if I park near the M62 whilst visiting the Moss.
“The whitethroat, wren, yellow wagtail and skylark were simply having to adopt a similar strategy as I and attempt to get their message across that this is their airspace and territory and as a consequence they belt out their song at an increased volume to great effect, I must admit.”
So Dave has been duetting with birds and I often feel the urge to let out a few whistled notes to see if a local song thrush or great tit will reply.
When I start to whistle, there is often a silence.
Is that the bird shocked to hear a possible rival whistling in its patch?
I sometimes think that they might be replying once they start to sing again.
I don’t know if they are but it keeps me happy.
Why don’t we all try this as part of the Wildlife Trust’s 30 Days Wild campaign to get people to do something wild every day in June?
Wouldn’t it be great to hear people whistling – or singing – joyously as they wandered through the countryside.
Just a warning, anyone singing on the moss will likely be chased way by Dave Steel and the other birders - depending on the song!
I think the thing we are trying to get across is the absolute joy you will feel being out in nature whether it’s your garden, the local park or woodland or out on the moors.
You will not only get an opportunity to see and hear wild things doing wild things, your health and well-being will be better for the experience.
And when you look back on your day, you will smile.