Relax: the lack of birdsong is in tune with the season
THE other evening the weather was fine after work and, with little else to do, I decided to walk all the way from the Telegraph offices in Victoria to where I was staying in Highbury. For those unfamiliar with London, this is an hour-and-a-half stroll from west to north, taking in two royal parks. Yet, save the odd hooting wood pigeon, I barely heard a bird sing. Even the parakeets kept schtum.
On Thursday afternoon, before yesterday’s deluge, I sat in my Yorkshire garden, which is normally filled with the twittering of sparrows, dunnocks, long-tailed tits and, increasingly, goldfinch. But once more as I scanned the empty trees I was met with an eerie silence.
Perhaps you have noticed this curious absence in recent days. Fortunately, it is weather-related.
Mid to late August is primetime for moulting, when birds slowly shed last year’s plumage and grow new feathers for winter. It is an extremely energyintensive process and can take two months. Birds choose August because it is warm, post-breeding and pre-migration, and food still abounds.
As they shed their feathers they are vulnerable to predators, hence their low profile, skulking low in bushes.
Harvest time is another reason. Birds flock to fields or patches of urban scrub to feast on weed seeds and berries. Depending on the autumn weather, some species may not return to back gardens until the first frosts.
This annual absence of birdlife brings both comfort and disquiet. The former comes from the knowledge that the birds are acting out their natural cycles in tune with the seasons.
However, the latter feeling lurks in a more irrational place. As I sit outside in the sound of silence, I cannot help asking myself: what if this year they don’t come back?