Coniferous chorus
Post categories: Springwatch,Ìýbirds
| 10:29 UK time, Thursday, 28 May 2009
Chris Watson, our resident wildlife sound recordist has been at it again.
This man doesn't ever sleep, he just waits... waits for the moment dawn arrives and is out there amongst it, recording every last tweet and trill.
This morning at 4.30am, Chris was wandering through the pine forests that border the lake here at Vyrnwy.
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The dawn chorus in this habitat is very different from what you've already heard from deciduous woodlands where wood warblers, chiff chaffs and pied flycatchers live.
The conifer forests are where the goshawks lurk, badgers rumble and rabbits generally run!
Last night I went for a stroll up into the pine forests, on the off chance of seeing a goshawk hunting. It was a peaceful - at times eerie - place due to the density and darkness that surrounds you, once you're deep inside it and very quiet.
Little streams gush down through the trees here from the hillsides above, so it's an interesting mix of dark, dry pine forest habitat coupled with luscious greenery and very soft ground running alongside the impromptu water courses.
The sound clip you'll hear today features secretive, mouse-like birds such as the dunnock and wren.
Believe it or not the Wren is Britain's commonest breeding bird so one to remember for your pub quiz.
Other species to listen out for are things like robins, chaffinches and coal tits. You'll notice that there is a distinct lack of warblers and migrant birds compared to previous dawn chorus clips we've heard.
Chris also noticed that the dawn chorus here started later than in the deciduous woodland... the reason being it's darker in the pine forests so the birds don't wake up quite so early!
Gull
Comment number 1.
At 1st Jun 2009, Jo Phillips wrote:What a wonderful sound! It was the ideal way to start Sunday morning for this city dweller. I I occaisionally hear the dawn chorus in London, mainly blackbirds, but this took me back to happy memories of time spent in Wales. Vyrnwy is so beautiful!
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Comment number 2.
At 4th Jun 2009, LazyRizzo wrote:Fantastic. Chris Watson is a marvel on two legs.
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