Birding in September 2010

Most of our resident garden birds have had a very successful breeding year amongst which the Robins and Coal Tits produced two broods each and the Blackbird’s three broods. Mr Pied our resident Blackbird raised two broods without passing on his pied features. (Recent research indicates the pied effect may be caused by an abnormality in the feather follicles of individual birds.)

These current months of high summer can be something of a fidgety time for any species of bird that regards our gardens and countryside purely as a temporary place of residence. Although we, ourselves, have a few remaining weeks to enjoy the fruits of high summer, for long-distance travellers such as Swallows, House Martins, Sand Martins and a whole range of unobtrusive little warblers, it’s a time of careful preparation. It’s all down to that gentle but strengthening inner voice that tells them that the time is nigh to start checking out their return flights to Africa. Some of our summer migrants are already well on their south-bound way; the Swifts and Cuckoos being prime examples.

This is the season with a great many comings and goings; summer visitors leaving, arrivals from northern Europe. All these birds will want their plumage to be in tip-top condition for the journey. This means a lot of bathing and preening of feathers. We are refilling our bird baths twice a day to help with this ‘sans shampoo’. Many of our summer visitors are still biding their time putting on extra grams hence the importance of supplementing nature’s larder.

There are of course, other familiar species that do enjoy a winter break although not so far south as Tropical Africa. A prime example is the Goldfinch, or as it was known by Edwardian society, the five-coloured Linnet. Many of them are happy to stay with us others will form impressively large ‘charms’ and head of to south-west Europe for a winter of reasonable content. I’m sure you will agree with us that, following a demanding nesting season, they truly deserve something of a good extended winter break. Although we are delighted that some remain. To encourage these to stay we are topping up our bird feeders with Sunflower hearts and Niger seed which is their favourite food.

We heard a few robins singing again in late August after their annual moult, and now many more are joining in. So as we move into September, we should hear a chorus of song duels between these birds. The female robins are now singing just like the males. It is quite often an aggressive performance, the robins taking up their winter territories and numerous young ones, with their newly acquired red breasts, are trying to gain a foothold. They all claim their territories by singing, and sometimes have quite fierce fights as a consequence there may be dead robins on the ground before autumn.

Sadly most birdsong is now beginning to fade away. However a few blackbirds are still singing, but they will soon start to moult their feathers, grow new ones, and fall silent. On some blackbirds we can see greyish patches where they have lost feathers. Moulting usually finishes by this month, and most blackbirds will not be heard singing again until January. Song thrushes will have almost stopped singing for the same reason, but they will start again in November, laying an early claim to their territories for next year’s breeding season. Most chaffinches have gone quiet, but greenfinches, sparrows and goldfinches remain very vocal.

D.H.