Springwatch

THE SOUNDS OF SPRING ARRIVING

During spring and early summer (March to July) you dont need your alarm clock as you can set the time by the sound of the dawn chorus, as the birds sing to their hearts content defending their territories and attracting a mate.

As winter turns to spring and the daylight hours lengthen the male songbirds switch to breeding mode. Songbirds time their breeding season to the warmest part of the year, when their is plentey of food and longer days in which to search for it.
The resident songbirds like robins & great tits can be heard first and later they are joined by migrant birds like chiffchaffs and blackcaps.
The peak time to enjoy the fullest variety of songbirds in the dawn chorus is late April though to the end of June.

Singing under cover of the dim dawn light offers better protection from preditors the air is often stiller and has less background noise, song can carry 20 times as far.

There is another chorus that can be heard at dusk although this isnt as loud or noticeable as the dawn chorus - or perhaps we are just less aware of the chorus at this time of the day. 
Birds such as tree sparrows and blue tits can be heard at dusk as it would appear they prefer this time of day to dawn.

NESTING.

When a bird has found its mate their thoughts turn to the job of nest building.
Nests provide shelter and protection for the eggs & young from adverse weather conditions and predators, for the parents while they incubate the eggs and can come in many different shapes and sizes and are built in many different locations.

Nests can be shallow scrapes prepared in the ground by waders such as the curlew, a simple platform of twigs used by woodpigeons and collared doves or cup shaped nests constructed by most garden birds. Some birds use holes in trees or cavities for added protection  to reduce the risk of eggs or young falling out of the nest.
Birds choose bird friendly buildings and gardens to build their nests - locations close to a good supply of food, water, nesting material, and suitable cover for security.

You can help birds make their choice on where to nest by:-

• Planting suitable trees, shrubs or plants in your garden that offer a natural source of food, security from preditars and a nesting place.
• Positioning a ready made nest box in your garden to offer a variety of birds a safe haven in which to build their nest and give you the golden opportunity to watch them while they build their nest, lay their eggs, hatch, feed and rear their young.
• Supplying a range of fresh bird food & water in your garden.

If you intend to build your own nest box refer to guidance from RSPB regarding wood type and treatments and see below guide to box nest box hole size requirements for various birds.

          Nest box hole size.          Birds that will use this box.

• 25mm                               Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit
  28mm                               Great Tit
  32mm                               Nuthatch, Tree Sparrow, House Sparrow
  45mm                               Starling, Blackbird
  open fronted box                Robin, Pied Wagtail, Song Thrush, Grey Wagtail, Wren 

Did you know? 

• Long tail tits take up to three weeks to build a unique purse-shaped nest - constructed using moss, spiders' webs and  lichen,  lined with over 2,000 feather s
• Male wrens impress potential mates by building up to four nests within their territory for their mate to choose from. As you would expect the female then usually adds to the interior decoration of the chosen nest by lining it with feathers.
• The most sophisticated nests are built by Swifts. The nests are formed from birds' salivary cement and contain high  quantities of minerals, like potassium and magnesium.