Corona Wildlife Diary: Day Seventy-four.
This weekend's Back Garden Bird Race will be tomorrow, Sunday 31 May (10-11).
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 Seventy-four
My summer is built from screams, cries, chatters and warbles. I’m love soaking up the sounds of migrant birds returning back home from their winter south of the Sahara. Each voice offers a familiar reassurance to me. Only when everything is back in its place can my summer begin. I've heard Swifts screaming and Swallows chattering as they swoop through the sky above the bungalow during the Back Garden Bird Race but there has been one bird's voice missing over the past few weeks. So I was thrilled when, in the 59th minute of last week's Bird Race, a flock of seven House Martins passed overhead.
One of the top tunes in my summer soundtrack is the sweet, bubbling twitter of the House Martin. (Listen here)
Shakespeare loved that sound too. To him they were ‘the guest of summer’. From Macbeth’s castle to cathedrals, country cottages and urban terraces these birds have historically been linked to our homes. They’re as much of a feature of English architecture as the clay, bricks and uPVC they build their nests against.
Photo by Roger Wilmshurst
House Martins are surveyors, architects, bricklayers, decorators and homeowners rolled into one 19g two-tone ball of feathers. Give them a building site of a vertical surface under an overhang and they’ll get to work.
Each lumpy half-dome home, tucked snug under the eaves, is made of 1000 tiny mouthfuls of muddy bricks carried from the edge of a nearby puddle or stream.
Photo by Roger Wilmshurst
The birds construct each nest over 10 days finally lining it with feathers to make it snug. They don’t always build a brand new nest; if they find a fixer-upper they’ll renovate.
Young House Martins. Photo by Roger Wilmshurst
House Martins are stereotypical builders. They constantly communicate with chirpy chatter, call down from the roof-tops and while they’re bent over working they reveal their pale rump. This white builder’s bum is a way of identifying the bird from that other summer eaves-dweller the Swallow.
The white rump of the House Martin. Photo by Tom Lee
They’ve shared our homes throughout history but their numbers have suffered a massive decline in England with a worrying 18% nosedive over the past decade alone. Aerial insect food and changing weather patterns here, in Africa and on migration routes in between have had an effect. This loss should strike deep in the heart of every Sussex resident because our county’s flag is made of six proud martlets or ‘little martins’
You can lean how to identify House Martins, Swifts and Swallows here .
Good luck for tomorrow's Back Garden Bird Race (10-11). Here's some other Housemartins (Paul, Stan, Hugh and Fatboy Slim) hoping that you have a Happy Hour (here)
Comments
Wow I really like the Sussex flag. Mine has a swan. I wonder how many counties have flags with birds on them? I think I’ll look into it. SO EXCITED to wear my t-shirt again tomorrow! Thanks for organising it!
30 May 2020 17:52:00
Yet again, an informative account. I learn something new everyday from your diary Michael! I live near Patching pond and this is the first year that I haven’t, sadly, seen or heard swallows or house martinsns in the air around my house. Well maybe 2 or 3 since April.. I’m glad other sightings have been mentioned in the county. I did read that there were massive losses in the Mediterranean earlier in the year. 😔
30 May 2020 20:28:00
11.05am Sunday. 7 species only but lovely hour spent in garden doing nothing by least competent recorder (unlockdowned birder absent, also regular robin): crow, magpie, wood & feral pigeons, house sparrow, starling, ring-necked parakeet.
31 May 2020 10:11:00
Hi Michael, Results this Sunday morning from my Barcombe garden were 27 species recorded including 7 heard only:
Song Thrush (heard)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (lot of activity – prob. incl. juvs)
Jackdaw
Robin
Goldfinch
Crow
Woodpigeon
Skylark (heard)
Blue Tit
Herring Gull
Blackcap (heard)
Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Great Tit
Blackbird
Wren (heard)
Starling
Pheasant (heard)
Greenfinch (heard)
House Martin
Swift (4 whizzing low over garden)
Rook
Collared Dove
House Sparrow
Buzzard
Cuckoo (heard)
(Little) Egret
Also a female Common Blue Butterfly. Regards, Simon
31 May 2020 10:13:00
Bird Race from Hellingly: Magpie, Goldfinch, Wren, Carrion Crow, Wood Pigeon, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Garden Warbler, Blackbird, Buzzard, Gt Spotted Woodpecker, House Sparrow, Green Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Song Thrush, Chiffchaff, Kestrel
Total 17 (Kestrel hovering at 5 to 11, no Robin and sky fairly empty of birds, clouds and vapour trails)
31 May 2020 10:14:00
Resident chiffchaff, starlings and collared doves all gone this week. First 15 minutes all jackdaws and magpies. Improved after that.
15 total
Magpie, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, Great Tit, Blackbird, Herring Gull, Robin, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Blue Tit, Collared Dove, Starling, Song Thrush, Carrion Crow
31 May 2020 10:15:00
Walberton. A bit disappointing with 20 this week. No blue tit, swallows or house martins, but did pick up a mistle thrush. There’s lots of juvenile goldfinches here!
magpie
house sparrow
goldfinch
crow
blackbird
woodpigeon
rook
robin
jackdaw
starling
collared dove
greenfinch
kestrel
buzzard
chaffinch
pied wagtail
mistle thrush
herring gull
dunnock (heard)
swift
31 May 2020 10:19:00
17
Blackbird
Chaffinch
Chiff chaff
Collared dove
Goldfinch
Kite
Magpie
Nuthatch
Robin
Siskin
Sparrow
Swallow
Bluetit
Coaltit
Greater Spotted Woodpecker
Woodpigeon
Wren
31 May 2020 10:22:00
No Robin but at least the bullfinch turned up…
17. Goldfinch, blue tit, blackbirds, carrion crow, song thrush, nuthatch, wood pigeon, collared dove, Dunnock, great spotted woodpecker, jackdaw, great tit, chaffinch, hòuse sparrow, magpie, starling, bullfinch. Cuckfield…
31 May 2020 10:23:00
Jackdaw
Goldfinch
Nuthatch
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Wood Pigeon
Magpie
Robin
Blackbird
Garden Warbler
Goldcrest
Carrion Crow
Pheasant
Song Thrush
Chaffinch
Wren
Total 17 seen or heard in Brightling garden. No spotted flycatcher this week, but I did see one last Monday in a different part of the garden.
31 May 2020 10:24:00
Nice sunny morning in Mannings Heath. Best score yet with 21 with 4 species not previously recorded in my diary and a couple of regulars not seen. Unfortunately the yellowhammer I saw two days ago didn’t return. And still no hirundines! Full list: blue tit, great tit, marsh tit, robin, dunnock, blackbird, nuthatch, chaffinch, goldcrest, wood pigeon, collared dove, jackdaw, carrion crow, magpie, jay, great spotted woodpecker, buzzard, cormorant and heard but not seen song thrush, blackcap and pheasant. Many thanks for continuing with the diary.
31 May 2020 10:24:00
Similar list to last week in rural Crowborough, although the garden is calm and fledglings seem to have moved out.
Stock Dove
Magpie
Jackdaw
Wood Pigeon
Blue Tit
Carrion Crow
Starling
Great Tit
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Nuthatch
Robin
Wren
Buzzard
Dunnock
Pheasant
Blackbird
Chaffinch
Green Woodpecker
18 species
Many thanks, Michael
31 May 2020 10:50:00
31.5.20
Woodmancote
Mallard
Heron Song Thrush
Jackdaw
Crow
HouseMartin
House Sparrow
Wood pigeon
Pied Wagtail
Blue Tit
Magpie
Blackbird
Greenfinch
Great Spotted Woodpecker. Feeding young
14 total
31 May 2020 10:55:00
18 this morning from my Brighton garden which was eerily quiet this week (apart from the traffic noise). A pair of Greenfinch was nice as they are much less common here lately.
1. Collared Dove
2. Herring Gull
3. Great Tit
4. Starling
5. Blackbird
6. House Sparrow
7. Goldfinch
8. Carrion Crow
9. Feral Pigeon
10. Dunnock
11. Woodpigeon
12. Blue Tit
13. Wren
14. Magpie
15. Robin
16. Greenfinch
17. Swift
18. Goldcrest
31 May 2020 10:59:00
Steyning.
Dunnock, Jackdaw, Robin, House Sparrow, Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Herring Gull, Crow, Buzzard, Starling, Rook, Swift, Great Tit, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Kestrel, Swallow, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Blue Tit, Collared Dove.
Heard: Pheasant, Green Woodpecker, Greenfinch, Song Thrush. 25 species.
Human noise much more prevalent this week!
31 May 2020 11:13:00
19 species at Heathfield. A goldcrest made a first appearance for this series of bird watches.
House sparrow, swift, blackbird, greenfinch, wood pigeon, rook, jackdaw, goldfinch, starling, goldcrest, dunnock, magpie, robin, herring gull, wren, collared dove, buzzard, blue tit, carrion crow.
31 May 2020 11:14:00
Probably my lowest count yet – only 18 species. Welcome appearance of a small family party of noisy blue tits, less so the noisy apparent transfer of the Isle of Man motorcycle races to local roads. Distant Chaffinch (a rarity here now) song pleasing. Cast in order of appearance :- House Sparrow, Greenfinch, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Dunnock, Starling, Blue Tit, Robin, Jackdaw, Collared Dove, Carrion Crow, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Siskin, Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Chaffinch. Regulars on holiday included Wren and Herring Gull.
31 May 2020 11:17:00
31 May 2020 I sat in a different part of the garden this week, with more extensive views over Romney Marsh. This resulted in fewer woodland species (no Tits!) but gained Red Kite. Less song now and not helped by a neighbour mowing his extensive lawn and incessant whine of motorbikes which now seem to have exceeded pre – covid numbers.
29 species; Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Rook, Pheasant, House Sparrow, Woodpigeon, Robin, Whitethroat, Red Kite, Heron, Jackdaw, Cormorant, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Magpie, Shelduck, Carrion Crow, Starling, Swallow, Blackbird, House Martin, Great Black-backed Gull, Oystercatcher, Buzzard, Wren, Blackcap, Linnet, Mallard, Green Woodpecker.
31 May 2020 11:18:00
Fewer here in Rye, 18 with hardly any small birds seen or heard. Best were a Lesser Black-back over, a Red Kite with 4 Buzzards, and many House Martins going up to nests under eaves of a big house on Rye Hill.
31 May 2020 11:41:00
18 today, highlight was the Green Woodpecker, often here but never before during the Bird Race. Blackbird, Blue Tit (so many babies), Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Green Woodpecker, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Mistle Thrush, Magpie, Nuthatch, Robin, Rook, Starling, Woodpigeon, White Dove.
31 May 2020 11:48:00
A poor 14 today with many regulars taking the day off including the male Chaffinch that normally calls all day, every day from a tree at the bottom of the Close.
At least the Collared Dove returned this week.
Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Herring Gull, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Magpie, Jackdaw, Stock Dove, Carrion Crow, Starling, Swift, Buzzard, Blue Tit, Robin.
31 May 2020 14:11:00
31.5.20
Woodmancote
Mallard
Heron Song Thrush
Jackdaw
Crow
HouseMartin
House Sparrow
Wood pigeon
Pied Wagtail
Blue Tit
Magpie
Blackbird
Greenfinch
Great Spotted Woodpecker. Feeding young
14 total
01 Jun 2020 06:24:00