azziria: (ocean)
azziria ([personal profile] azziria) wrote2004-04-13 11:08 am

The birds...

One of the best things about camping in Yorkshire was hearing the curlews calling - their bubbling cry is such an evocative sound. Because it’s the breeding season they kept going most of the night - one night I crawled out of the tent at 2 a.m. to a light frost glittering on the field and the curlews calling under a full moon. Stunning.

Other things I heard in the night were oystercatchers and owls (Tawny and Little).

Woke early yesterday so took my cup of tea out onto the porch to listen to the dawn chorus. All common garden birds, but wonderful - blackbirds, song thrushes, robins, dunnocks, and the trill of an early-rising greenfinch. As the blackbirds tone down, the woodpigeons and collared doves start up - for me the real sound of a British summer. Then gradually the later birds begin to call - chaffinches, greenfinches, great and blue tits, and finally starlings.

And now at last we have the first of the summer migrants. I’ve been hearing chiff chaffs on my morning runs for a couple of weeks, and on Sunday morning I saw my first swallow (it did look like it was wondering if it had made a mistake, though, given it was still only three degrees above freezing at the time...).

[identity profile] ihlanya.livejournal.com 2004-04-13 03:26 am (UTC)(link)
I love the way you write. It's so evocative, and I don't even have to close my eyes to imagine it.

I wish I could identify birds. It's on my 100 list, which is currently sitting at about 91 - I'm not feeling creative enough to continue right now.

[identity profile] azziria.livejournal.com 2004-04-13 03:32 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you :-)

[identity profile] linaelyn.livejournal.com 2004-04-13 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
Ahhhhhhh... Lovely, just lovely. I can picture nearly all of your birds, too! Have never had a chance to bird at the shore, in England, nor have I seen any of your owls. Someday!

We had Black Oystercatchers (http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/DesJardin/Blackoystercatcher.htm) pairing off, out at the beach on Sunday. Calling at deafening volume and chasing each other for prime territory.

Our swallows returned about three weeks ago.

[identity profile] marquesate.livejournal.com 2004-04-13 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
I'm always amazed & stunned plus awed that peeps know which bird is which. SO's dad is the same, a member of the RSPCA since he was a wee kidling.

The only birds I know from sight are Rotkehlchen, Blaumeise, Bussard, Elster and Rabe.

Uhm sorry, I don't even know all of the English names.

Colour me impressed m'dear!