What Causes Birds to Start Singing?

It was a murky morning today but I heard several species singing: Skylark, hedge accentor, greenfinch, chaffinch, song thrush, robin. Plus a drumming woodpecker. The only difference that might have sparked this irruption of song has been a slight rise in the temperature. Obviously the days are also getting longer, but that would not exp;lain the sudden burst of birdsong today compared with previous days.

Singing Chaffinch

Although the weather has turned milder, night time temperatures are still low and there was a frost this morning. Nevertheless, the cold did not deter a cock chaffinch from singing from a high hedge top position. True, it was not the full song but as I usually reckon this to be the true harbinger of spring, it was a very welcome contribution.

Nest Box Exploring

Although we have had for over a week now hard frosts at night and the daytime temperature hardly raising above freezing, there are clear signs of birds preparing for spring. On each of these cold days I have witnessed both blue and great tits investigating the nest boxes in the garden. Robins seemed to have paired off, so that two birds can often be seen in close proximity without any sign of friction between them.
So, although any breeding may be over a month away, the birds seem to be gearing themselves up for the coming spring. Still, even given the cold, few birds have been using the feeders in the garden, though blackbirds have been very keen to consume the half apples I have put out for them.

Thames Estuary

Today walked along the busy Promenade at Gravesend. The tide was low and so the mud flats were exposed. The first bird I spotted was a feeding avocet. This was followed by several redshanks and in the distance what appeared to be bar-tailed godwits. I saw a single turnstone and a pair of unidentified ducks. These latter were on the waterline and were small brown ducks. Walking around the marina, which was mud capped with ice, a kingfisher emerged from a tunnel and flew within inches of Daphne and Dylan (the dog).

I was surprised to see the abundance of bird life carrying on their normal behaviours so close to the many people who were taking advantage of the afternoon sun.

Birds Galore

The snow had receded significantly this morning. In fact, it has largely disappeared from the bottom fields, whilst it remains at a few inches depth on the Downs and by the house,
Sun shining but bitterly cold; not expecting to see much.

I don't ususally list the birds I| see but given the variety seen or heard this morning, I thought I would make an exception:
Jackdaw, Rook, Crow (a hundred plus on stubble and maize (pheasant cover).
Pheasant.
Robin, Dunnock.
Greenfich, Chaffinch, Bullfinch
Blue Tit, Great Tit.
Magpie.
Skylark
Goldcrest
Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
Wood pigeon, Collared Dove.
Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush.

All this in a one hour stroll across fields and through woods.
Strangely, no winter migrants (Fieldfares, Redwings) which I see most other days.

Badger in Snow

The first fall of snow since we moved here. Went for a morning walk to see what tracks were around. Not surprised to see plenty of evidence of rabbits, but did not expect to see badger tracks leading from one of the local setts. Unusual, in my experience, to see them emerging on such a cold night.

New Year's Day

A drumming greater spotted woodpecker was an unexpected surprise on this dank and dreary day. It was not the full-throttled drumming you would expect come the spring, but was clearly a territorial sound display and not a bird excavating rotten wood. I would not expect to hear this sound for another month or two in normal circumstances.
In the field above the church, a female sparrow hawk was quartering low to the ground. I presume it was hoping to set up one of the skylarks that are still about. Or maybe, it was looking to spook the partridges that are still round. The only thing I saw it disturb was a fieldfare and it studiously ignored this bird, so for some reason did not consider it suitable prey.
I then watched a male blackbird chasing redwings from its chosen feeding spot. I was surprised to see this and have not really noticed it happening before. The bird was spending so much time chasing away the thrushes that it hardly had time to feed itself.