|
This is a reminder that this is a
good time of year to listen to the dawn chorus. Thanks
to the clocks going forward, it does not get light as
early as last week and the birds start to sing at a
reasonable time.
The dawn chorus often starts with
some harsh chords from a crow or pheasant, but robins
and thrushes and blackbirds soon add lively tunes.
Recording the sequence in which species join the dawn
chorus is common pastime for early birdwatchers, but
the precise order is variable and probably does not
mean much. Nevertheless, there is a general rule that
birds with larger eyes, and therefore greater visual
capacity, start singing earlier, when there is less
light. Robins and other members of the thrush family
have relatively large eyes and start early while great
tit and chaffinch with smaller eyes chime in much
later, perhaps even after the first species have
fallen quiet. The skylark is another early starter
because it lives in open country where it gets light
sooner.
You have to drag yourself
outdoors and, preferably into a wood where the dawn
chorus is at its strongest, to get the full impact. It
continues for about half an hour then may fade into
silence for a while until there is a renewed outburst
of song. It used to be said that the birds were 'at prayers' during this quiet period and
observations suggest that they are perching quietly
and not feeding. No explanation has been found for
this lull in the chorus.
|
