Now that April is here I can write about the Chaffinch singing on the orchard bough, although I’ve been hearing Chaffinch song , sometimes from our small apple tree, since February.
This one was recorded in Brandenburg today!
Whereas this one is from Yorkshire…
And this one is from Lincolnshire…
It’s a song that is widely heard and pretty easy to learn – now is the time to learn it!
Chaffinches are really common – but not as common as they used to be (more on that tomorrow)
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A Yorkshire birder of my acquaintance likens the rhythm to a fast bowler taking a run up then releasing the ball. My other half, being a field athlete in his youth, uses the long jump as his analogy.
Lyn – I’ll listen in a new way now.
For the first time this year Chaffinches were singing properly this morning as I went to the supermarket. There were five of them and they were counter-singing too. Chaffinches invariably start their song season here at the beginning of Feb. But in the last two months I have only heard the very occasional half hearted song from one or possibly two birds. Declined or not, Chaffinches are definitely starting to sing very late this spring.
That’s a droll Yorkshire description reported by Lyn. It’s nice to think that it might not quite apply to our Sussex birds, given that the Chaffinch song can have significant dialectical differences from region to region.
murray – thank you – your 800th comment here, I see.