Tuesday 21 May 2013

An Evening Chorus of Birds

I was feeling in need of an evening walk after a session at hospital today going through the ordeal of a colonoscopy.  the outcome of that was very positive so birds once again filled my head.  I was thinking about looking for signs of our local Barn Owls so walked up our lane and joined neighbour Rob Donaldson to walk over his land.  Rob has created some fine meadows and woodlands as well as having a very boggy marsh of rough grasses and sedges.  It is here that the owls which nest in our old school house often hunt.


Male Blackbird - a splendid songster we take for granted

Well we failed with the owls but discovered something else.   Rob has been hard of hearing for some time but has just taken delivery of a spanking new hearing aid.  As we walked he kept getting excited about the cacophony of bird song.  "Just listen to those Blackbirds" he kept saying.  I then realised that Rob had been unable to hear what we all take for granted for some time.  It was a marvellous experience to share with him the songs of those wonderful Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap.  Sadly I never got him on to a reeling Grasshopper Warbler but the smile on his face and the general excitement of his rediscovery made me very happy.
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1 comment:

  1. Bob22 May 2013 at 10:49

    We must be doing that Vulcan Mind Meld thing again.

    For the last hour of light I sat up the top of my hill last night and just listened.

    American Robin,
    Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Flicker, Red-Shouldered Hawk,
    Cowbird, Common Grackle, Starling,
    House Sparrow, Mourning Dove, Rock Dove (or whatever they are calling them now), Cardinal, House Wren, Carolina Wren, WB Nuthatch, Titmouse, Song Sparrow, Catbird, Mocker,
    Chimney Swift, American Crow, Fish Crow, Bluejay, Carolina Chickadee, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Blackpoll Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, American Goldfinch, and House Finch. All audios.

    So without moving from my Adirondak chair I had 30 species by ear and if you asked me how many birds were calling I probably would have said 12-15. We just take some things for granted. Good to stop and appreciate the chorus sometimes.

    Thanks again.

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