All the signs of Spring are bursting upon us and the birds are in full voice in the mornings!
Don’t miss the dawn chorus which is ramping up now that birds are mating and nesting. It’s wonderful to just find a spot where you won’t be interrupted, sit still and listen to the various birds starting their songs. What a delight.
What is that bird?
Need some help with identifying birds? It’s worth trying to join a group so you can learn from more experienced “birders!
Membership of the RSPB gives you access to lots of useful information as does local group Sussex Ornithological Society who organise lots of events. Their regular newsletters and annual bird report are invaluable if you are learning about birds in Sussex. The group are particularly trying to encourage younger members and are currently offering a brilliant support scheme for young people (16-25), offering money towards membership, equipment, training and travel and expenses for field trips and events. Find out how to apply here!
What’s that birdsong?
Can you identify a dunnock from its call, or a blue tit or wren? There are lots of ways to get to know bird songs better. The RSPB website often has songs on its identification pages (which works if you have some clue what you are listening to, not so easy if you have no idea!)
A free app for your phone called Merlin is a great starting point when you are trying to learn birdsongs. It works best when you keep still and there is little background noise. Basically you just start recording, and the app brings up a list of the birds it detects, highlighting each one if it picks it up again. You can even listen back when you get home, which helps to learn the calls yourself. It’s not foolproof. The other day it claimed to hear a kingfisher at Seaford station, which seems unlikely! The best way to confirm the song is to work out where the birdsong is coming from, and try and spot the bird too, to verify the sighting.
There are guides online too, check out those on Youtube and from Lucy Lapwing which are great fun to watch and help you to remember specific songs in the future.
Who is Lucy?
Self confessed “nature nerd” Lucy has recently appeared on Springwatch, Winterwatch, and the brilliant unofficial Autumnwatch show called “8 out of 10 bats” which is available to watch on Youtube. She spends a lot of her time in the far reaches of Scotland, but Seaford Natural History Society have persuaded her to come all the way down to Seaford to give a talk on 23 March. Lucy will be enthusing about some of the “underfrogs” – those less loved, but still fascinating creatures that can be found locally.
Tickets are selling fast, so book here if you don’t want to miss out! The early bird catches the worm!
Click here to find out details of future walks and talks by SNHS and On the Verge, funded by the Ouse Valley Climate action fund.
