Corona Wildlife Diary: Day Eighty-eight
The penultimate weekly Back Garden Bird Race will be tomorrow, Sunday 14 June (10-11). We'll run one more next weekend then we'll take a break and run them each month.
All the information, rules, I.D guides and downloadable phone app is on the Bird Race website here. You can leave your results in the comments section below today's diary, on the Facebook page or in the phone app. Bird race in style with our snazzy Back Garden Bird Race t-shirts (here)
Day Eighty-eight
When I was out checking on the moth trap the other night there were all sorts of noises coming from the trees at the end of the cul-de-sac. The young Tawny Owl chicks are just leaving the nest and were making a right racket. While I've been sitting around doing nothing my local owls have been busy. They would have laid their eggs at the start of April, spent a month incubating them and a busy month feeding their hungry chicks. Now they're heading out to explore the world.
(Photo: Peter Brooks)
Once upon a time we were terrified of Tawny Owls. They were a portent of evil in fairytales, folklore and just about every scary story, film or poem that needed a creepy cliché.
But in today’s crowded marketplace of global pandemics and economic recession owl’s powers to scare us are fading. And recently it appears this spokesman of the supernatural has got itself a new publicist. Its modern image is one of a cuddly pin-up, more Harry Potter than Hammer Horror. But there's still something eerie about standing out in my garden at night and listening to an unseen owl’s ethereal call. It’s an ancient, unnerving sound that still speaks to something buried deep within us and ignites a primeval fear.
The Tawny Owl is the largest and commonest of our island’s five owl species and typically nests in holes in old trees in our remaining woodlands. But what is it about this bird that has given us the willies throughout history? Let’s start with those huge, lifeless black eyes that seem to stare into your very soul. An owl’s eyes are not spherical but tubular like two telescopes and give amazing vision at low light levels. However the eye’s stretched shape and position on the owl’s face presents a narrow field of vision. To compensate, a Tawny Owl has special bones and blood vessels in its neck so it can perform that freaky, Exorcist-like head twist. This gives the bird the ability to scan all around without having to move its body and arouse detection by prey.
(Photo: Phil Winter)
And in the world of a nocturnal hunter silence and stealth are everything. Special serrated feathers slice the air, allowing it to fly as silently as a phantom and aerially ambush its victims. Incredible hearing achieved by asymmetrical ears allows them to accurately pinpoint the rustle of a nervous vole below. They can hear fear.
And then there’s that disembodied voice arising from the darkness. The male’s far-carrying baritone ‘hooo-huhuhuhooo’ and the female’s squawky ‘kerr-wik’ response are like a mis-matched duet between Johnny Cash and Janet Street-Porter. These calls help establish, maintain and defend a breeding territory.
Here's a great clip female's call and the male's song (here)
Of course Tawny Owls really couldn’t give two hoots about scaring us but throughout history these spectral calls have provided a soundtrack to our deepest fears. In a society which is becoming increasingly detached from nature it’s time to get out into the woods and allow ourselves to be unsettled once again by these mystical birds.
Comments
Strix aluco does sound very Harry Potter. I can’t believe how far their wings can spread and then fold up so neatly. It’s amazing!
13 Jun 2020 10:55:00
Bird race. Truncated hour but still scored 15 in Cuckfield. Bullfinch, magpie, blackbird, great tit, blue tit, goldfinch, jackdaw, dunnock, house sparrow, carrion crow, chaffinch, greenfinch, wood pigeon, collared dove, wren
14 Jun 2020 09:46:00
Very quiet again today. Even the blackbirds that have been pillaging our raspberries every day,failed to stand up and be counted this morning. Just 10 species:
House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Wood Pigeon Great Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie, Herring Gull, Collared Dove, Chaffinch, Swift.
14 Jun 2020 10:09:00
A good turn out. Lots of family groups including our two young woodpeckers practising going up and down the bird feeder post and pecking some holes in it.
22
Blackbird
Bullfinch
Buzzard
Chaffinch
Crow
Collared Dove
Goldfinch
Jay
Magpie
Nuthatch
Robin
Siskin
Sparrow
Swallow
Song Thrush
Bluetit
Great Tit
Coal Tit
Greater Spotted Woodpecker
Woodpigeon
Wren
Raven
14 Jun 2020 10:10:00
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Nuthatch
Chaffinch
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Blackbird
Wren
Wood Pigeon
Goldfinch
Buzzard
Garden Warbler
Carrion Crow
Robin
Jay
Magpie
Spotted Flycatcher
Bullfinch
Coal Tit
Total of 18 seen or heard in Brightling Garden
Very quiet, apart from Blackbirds and Garden Warblers
14 Jun 2020 10:15:00
Bird Race from Hellingly: Wren, Chiffchaff, Herring Gull, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Garden Warbler, Wood Pigeon, Magpie, Chaffinch, Robin, Gt Spotted Woodpecker, Goldfinch, Swallow, Bluetit, Buzzard Total 15 Birds hunkering down, more heard than seen
14 Jun 2020 10:18:00
Hi Michael, It looked initially like it was going to be quite a challenge in the mainly cloudy conditions here in Barcombe but I recorded 26 species (3 of which were heard only) eventually during the hour:
Goldfinch
Blackbird
Jackdaw
Woodpigeon
Wren (heard only)
Rook
Great Spotted Woodpecker (juv)
Blue Tit (including juvs)
Robin
Crow
Herring Gull
Collared Dove
Great Tit (including juvs)
Dunnock (heard only)
Greenfinch
Coal Tit (heard only)
House Sparrow
Starling
Swift
Swallow
Pied Wagtail
House Martin
Chiffchaff
Buzzard
Chaffinch
Kestrel
Regards, Simon
14 Jun 2020 10:19:00
Bird Challenge: 7 species only but best effort by non-twitcher against competition from a helicopter circling local rave site (just a few hours late). Wood pigeon, house sparrow, robin, blackbird, colared dove, magpie, gull which I guess to be HG or LBBG).
14 Jun 2020 10:21:00
Only 15 species recorded on a mostly cloudy morning in Mountfield (TQ743202) – lowest total to date. Garden soundscape dominated by ever-present, often squabbling, House Sparrows. Full cast list in order of appearance :- Collared Dove, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Starling, Wren, Jackdaw, Goldfinch, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Song Thrush, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Robin.
14 Jun 2020 10:24:00
Rural garden near Crowborough. Hornet was an unexpected visitor at the bedroom window.
Chaffinch
Great Tit
Jay
Blackbird
Blue Tit
Wood Pigeon
Magpie
Robin
Jackdaw
Dunnock
Goldfinch
Carrion Crow
Coal Tit
Wren
Stock Dove
Green Woodpecker
Bullfinch (heard)
Nuthatch
Blackcap (heard)
Buzzard
Song Thrush
21 species
Thank you Michael
14 Jun 2020 10:24:00
From our Steyning garden this morning:
1.House Sparrow
2.Jackdaw
3.Wood Pigeon
4.Magpie
5.Chaffinch
6.Carrion Crow
7.Blackbird
8.Goldfinch
9.Chiffchaff
10.Kestrel
11.Herring Gull
12.Swift
13.Dunnock
14.Stock Dove
15.Blue Tit
16.Starling
17.Greenfinch
18.Buzzard
19.Great Tit
20.Robin
21.Skylark (heard)
22.Wren (heard)
23.Green Woodpecker (heard)
24.Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard)
Total = 24 species. Generally quietening down now in mid-June, young Blue & Great Tits, Starlings, House Sparrows, Goldfinches, & Jackdaws. Our first Chiffchaff for weeks working it’s way up the hedge. At least 7 Swifts wheeling away down the hill over the village.
14 Jun 2020 10:29:00
Joined by my daughter this week in sunny Mannings Heath with a record twenty two species. During the week I saw a female sparrowhawk several times on, or streaking past, our bird feeders, but she didn’t turn up for the bird race. Full list in order: blue tit, wood pigeon, great tit, robin, great spotted woodpecker, chaffinch (heard, not seen), blackcap (heard, not seen), greenfinch, carrion crow, dunnock, blackbird, jackdaw, herring gull, goldfinch, song thrush (heard, not seen), magpie, buzzard, feral pigeons, nuthatch, pheasant, coal tit, marsh tit. Thanks again for organising the race.
14 Jun 2020 10:42:00
Now whenever I hear that “squawky kerr-wik” I’ll inevitably think of Janet Street-Porter! Brilliant, Michael – any more bird/celeb comparisons?
14 Jun 2020 10:45:00
18 species at Heathfield. A first (bird race) Nuthatch but no raptors.
House Sparrow, Blackbird, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Magpie, Swift, Jackdaw, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Carrion Crow, Nuthatch, Starling, Goldcrest, Wren, Robin, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Collared Dove.
14 Jun 2020 10:48:00
Here in Rye, with raucous corvids, cooing pigeons, chattering sprogs and endless motorbikes, down to 16 species today. Highlights were Cormorant, Kestrel and a pair of Stock Doves.
14 Jun 2020 10:54:00
Thanks Michael, very excited to see my first ever Bullfinch, I would never have noticed it if I hadn’t had my binoculars, so beautiful. 23 today, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Green Woodpecker, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Magpie, Nuthatch, Robin, Song Thrush, Starling, Swallow, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon.
14 Jun 2020 11:07:00
17 today in our Brighton garden. I like to see what turns up after the race finishes – Coal Tit, Goldcrest and Woodpigeon between 11 and 11:30 today!
1. Blue Tit
2. Starling
3. Collared Dove
4. Robin
5. Herring Gull
6. House Sparrow
7. Goldfinch
8. Blackbird
9. Feral Pigeon
10. Magpie
11. Greenfinch
12. Carrion Crow
13. Swift
14. Long-tailed Tit
15. Jackdaw
16. Great Tit
17. Dunnock
14 Jun 2020 11:09:00
Woodmancote. 14.06.20 15 species
Mallard
Pied Wagtail
Crow
Chiff chaff
Jackdaw
Heron
Swallow
Wood Pigeon
Goldfinch
Grey Wagtail
Blackbird
Bluebird
Magpie
House Sparrow
Buzzard. – overhead
15
14 Jun 2020 11:21:00
Nothing unusual in this morning’s count from my garden a mile NE of Rye, but I did make the magic 30 at last!
Blackcap, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Buzzard, Jackdaw, Rook, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Chiff-chaff,Black-headed Gull, Shelduck, Cormorant, Woodpigeon, Swallow, Feral Pigeon, Whitethroat, Herring Gull, Heron, Wren, Pheasant, Mute Swan, Starling, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Linnet, Jay, Collard Dove.
14 Jun 2020 11:40:00