Song Thrushes Signal Spring

Tuesday 31st January 2023 the day of the January Survey was a cloudy day with no blue sky visible at first. The light was bright however with no rain or wind but much mud and some broken branches to make up the picture for the last day in January. The most noticeable visual sign was the bareness and drop in the height of riverside vegetation compared with last winter and the winter before. Then brambles were throwing their new shoots high without dying down as the warm weather allowed for continuous growth. Today bramble fronds were weighed down with layers of fallen Oak leaves. The only sign of reasonable growth were some tiny clumps of green leaves low down on the warmer earth of the river banks - Wild Garlic. 

Above, on the level route of the footpaths there were only layers fallen leaves on hard ground. It was not clear in places which was the path and which was normally a soft green verge with wild flowers springing up: the footpath is on the left and the verge on the right:

The space on the right of the trees is usually frequented by birds,

 Blackbirds and Song Thrushes mostly shuffling through the leaves

finding plentiful bounty. but this was not long after the Survey.

Yes there were Song Thrushes, not foraging but singing full songs as loudly as I've ever heard and clearly visible in the bare branches directly overhead.

On the day of the Survey and most of January and February, singing birds dominated the whole riverside, it would have been a desolate scene without them with still only slow-growing Hazel Catkins to bring colour.

With continuous birdsong and no wind, it was easy to see most and rejoice at their numbers.

Almost all Robins (33) were singing and visible, even in the conifers. with Blue ts (35), Great ts (18) and fast moving Long-tailed ts (11) very active, giving contact calls, the Great ts giving by far the loudest and most varied spring calls. Wrens (only 2) were the least audible and visible as this season is usually a quiet one for them, depending on the weather and Bankside growth of mosses. There were seven Dunnock, most singing, one bathing in a drainage Basin which still carried some water and another singing loudly from an Oak. Their numbers were vastly exceeded by House Sparrows, as usual - there were approximately 90, some singing loudly whilst hidden amongst dry Brambles - the most popular habitat on dry ground but with the river nearby. The only disadvantage of growing a thick underlay of winter down is the time it takes to get dry again preening in the winter sun after bathing. Five Goldfinches were singing in a bank thicket, but no large flocks were seen.  The soft call of a Bullfinch was heard as the bird moved around the the Blackthorn thickets over the river but fell silent when a Sparrowhawk whizzed through the top branches, heading North where vegetation provided cover for attempts at predation. Often these attempts are most successful with Woodpigeon prey. There were 29 Woodpigeons spread out along the river and tall hedges, observing. Eight Magpies were actively chasing each other with 17 Carrion Crows, in the Oaks, some chasing the Magpies. 

The most numerous birds today apart from the House Sparrows, were the Herring Gulls (68) some in small groups, others in a group of about 40, visibly incoming with the blue sky forming a 'kettle' over the school. Interestingly only one starling was seen, many others were present but invisible in their 'day roost'.

Those characters of the playing fields, the Black-headed Gulls were present, (about 40) many losing their winter plumage, all quietly wandering, evenly distanced, across the grass.

Of the thrushes, Blackbirds were the most numerous, foraging in various places along the river and on  leaf-strewn paths (19). A single Redwing was clearly seen, looking around from a Blackthorn, 

perhaps deciding to join a departing flock.

The masters of the days singers were the Song Thrushes. 14 were clearly seen in their own habitats on their chosen perches, some giving sustained and beautiful voice-carrying songs. Once having chosen their 'singing station' perches they can often be found in the same  general location each day, if not disturbed. (as do the Mistle Thrushes).  Other birds seen were 6 Nuthatch, some calling. They too seek the best locations and return to them but only call in alarm or to threaten imposters as their tree cavity nests take many weeks to build and refurbish well in advance of nesting.

A single Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen clearly visible investigating a nest halfway up an old tree trunk.

Finally on the outskirts of the survey area a Red Kite was seen flying onto an old tree near a large drainage basin, more often occupied by a Kestrel.