What birds (are you/have you been) watching? What birds have been watching you?

[Vox Humana]

Very well put, Richard.

[doversoul1]

I find it hard to believe that, of all people, Radio 3 is parading the worst kind of ignorance. And what about Through the Night? As french frank often mentions, the programme is broadcast into other European countries where I am sure this sort of nonsense will not be accepted.

[jayne lee wilson]

I agree - and we are going to have even fewer of them, if Medway Council gets its way. :( The musicians need to be careful not to fall foul of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, whereby it is an offence intentionally or recklessly to disturb nesting or nest-building birds. The reason birds sing in spring is to attract mates and protect their nests and territory, so, given Nightingales' skulking behaviour (they sing from within cover and are not easily seen), there must be a real danger of disturbance here, unless the musicians keep a respectful distance.

Yes, thanks for this - just supported the campaign (I seem to be doing this for all sorts of causes every week now.... just seen that Cambridge Analytica is to shut down.... exposure can work!)

[doversoul1]

Not just the sound but light as well. Poor nightingales. No peace. How many people and vehicles did this activity involve? Can the recording be genuine?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b1pgkm

A new photo at 20.30.

[Richard Tarleton]

Not just the sound but light as well. Poor nightingales. No peace. How many people and vehicles did this activity involve? Can the recording be genuine?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b1pgkm

A new photo at 20.30.

It just gets worse. "the nightingales, who gather there to sing at night each Spring"...they don't "gather" there , what do they think this is, a lek?

[oddoneout]

It just gets worse. "the nightingales, who gather there to sing at night each Spring"...they don't "gather" there , what do they think this is, a lek?

Choir practice? Ye gods, the arrogance.
Given all the technical resources available these days it would have been perfectly possible to recreate a night-time wood, complete with birdsong and other noises, in a studio, for the musicians to 'collaborate' with.

[DracoM]

Ominous, nonchalantly circling raptors over lambing fields.

[Vox Humana]

Choir practice? Ye gods, the arrogance.
Given all the technical resources available these days it would have been perfectly possible to recreate a night-time wood, complete with birdsong and other noises, in a studio, for the musicians to 'collaborate' with.

Indeed so, but then it wouldn't qualify as "art", would it?

Ominous, nonchalantly circling raptors over lambing fields.

Careful, Draco. Idle talk costs lives.

https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/community/ourwork/b/investigations/archive/2018/04/28/raptor-persecution-in-the-peak-district-national-park.aspx

[Richard Tarleton]

Ominous, nonchalantly circling raptors over lambing fields.

What's your point, Draco? What species of raptor are we talking about here? (a friendly enquiry as we can't have hosts falling out )

[oddoneout]

Indeed so, but then it wouldn't qualify as "art", would it?

It could be made to seem so if subjected to the right bilge-spouter, er... spin doctor, no try again, ocular wool-puller, oh I give up - you know what I mean....
In fact it could be bigged-up even more by promoting the environmental advantages of not disturbing the subject of the project by being in the field.

[doversoul1]

Back to birds

‘Our’ drake seems to have lost his duck to a new comer. He follows the new drake with ‘his’ duck about from polite distance and waits until the new drake finishes eating before he starts. This is the third year he visits us with the duck and we’ve got to know them well. Poor drake. Last year when another drake came, he put up a fierce fight to chase the intruder off but there has been no fight this year. I suppose ducks, like us, get old and give up things we never thought we’d do.

I think we have a nightingale in the back garden. Or are there some other birds that sing in the evening?

[Bryn]

Back to birds

‘Our’ drake seems to have lost his duck to a new comer. He follows the new drake with ‘his’ duck about from polite distance and waits until the new drake finishes eating before he starts. This is the third year he visits us with the duck and we’ve got to know them well. Poor drake. Last year when another drake came, he put up a fierce fight to chase the intruder off but there has been no fight this year. I suppose ducks, like us, get old and give up things we never thought we’d do.

I think we have a nightingale in the back garden. Or are there some other birds that sing in the evening?

Depends where you live in terms of light polution. Robins, poor things, can sing all night long if the light level is significant enough. As to drakes, most ducks have a pair in tow.

[Richard Tarleton]

I think we have a nightingale in the back garden. Or are there some other birds that sing in the evening?

There's no mistaking a nightingale really, dovers - https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wi...-z/nightingale, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTkZRO-FYTM....

Blackbirds sing in the evenings, sedge warblers likewise (having no idea what sort of garden you've got )

[Dave2002]

I heard lots of birds in the late afternoon today while sitting out in the garden. I might try to record the ambience tomorrow or one of the days this week around the same time of day. I doubt that I'll get up early enough to catch them in the morning. Tomorrow could be good though, as background noise levels may be lower than usual.

[ardcarp]

Over the (gorgeous) weekend saw Manx shearwaters (turning effortlessly) and guillemots (flapping a lot) in close formations low down over the sea. Not to mention oyster catchers peeping nearer inshore.