Bird song

[Odsox]

... and their meanings

From a very early age I was told that the Yellow Hammer sings "A little bit of bread and no cheese" and the Wood Pigeon sings "Sow some more peas you fool, you old fool" and the Cuckoo sings, er well I forget that one.
But a friend told me recently that the Chaffinch is a very sinister bird.
When I asked why, he told me that the Chaffinch sings "Ha ha ha ha ha, I'm going to eat you !"

Now every time I hear a Chaffinch, beautiful bird that it is, I don't see it in quite the same way any more.

[Milims]

Our Wood Pigeons just sound like dirty old men with a smokers cough! My Mam told be that black birds sing "pretty girl, pretty girl"

[doofaloofa]

Remember Percy Edwards?

His Wood Pigeon was "My toe's bleeding Betty, My toe's bleeding Betty, My toe's bleeding Betty, Oh!"

Apperently the sound of birdsong has a primal calming effect. If birds are singing there are no predators around

[Zech]

If birds are singing there are no predators around

I think that depends on humans being able to tell the difference between singing and alarm calls. When I go out into the garden I usually have a cat with me. The birds are not so calming then

[Maykal]

The great tits in my garden are the most aggressive and sit on the grape vines machine gunning me with shrill tchk tchk tchk-es every time I step out the kitchen door. They've now been dubbed the Angry Birds, although I've yet to catch one and try catapulting it up at the castle on the hill. The nuthatches, on the other hand, are positively friendly and curious and will come and feed from the feeder even if I'm sitting right next to it.

[oldjerry]

... and their meanings

From a very early age I was told that the Yellow Hammer sings "A little bit of bread and no cheese" and the Wood Pigeon sings "Sow some more peas you fool, you old fool" and the Cuckoo sings, er well I forget that one.
But a friend told me recently that the Chaffinch is a very sinister bird.
When I asked why, he told me that the Chaffinch sings "Ha ha ha ha ha, I'm going to eat you !"

Now every time I hear a Chaffinch, beautiful bird that it is, I don't see it in quite the same way any more.

This is a very 'human centric' way of listening to birds....I like to think they are are discussing the essays of some avian Montaigne.

[Mrs Moustoir]

On the subject of birdsong...Radio 4 have a new series coming up called "tweet of the day". It's a series of 2 minute programmes about birds. Ideal for the early birds amongst us - 05.58am each weekday!

[Millymollymandy]

My blackbirds sing "where's Jeremy?", my Blackcaps end their song with "ticketyboo" and the Chaffies here end their song with "sekeee-ah" whereas some, particularly in England, sing "boudeee-ah". Which could almost be translated into "gonna eat ya".

Shame that R4 tweet is on rather early as my OH always has R4 on in the kitchen but he is fast asleep at that time.

[Flo]

My sparrows sit in the allotment hedges discussing nesting sites and are noisy little sods - make toddlers and teenagers seem quiet.

[Maykal]

On the subject of birdsong...Radio 4 have a new series coming up called "tweet of the day". It's a series of 2 minute programmes about birds. Ideal for the early birds amongst us - 05.58am each weekday!

You can listen to it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/totd

[MuddyWitch]

Pigeons say 'My por toe, Betty' ...usually sat on our roof at 6am!

MW