Wednesday 24 February 2010

A Dunnock Comes to Call

When I noticed some activity on the outside of the Blue Tit box I took the camera down to the bottom of the garden to take some photographs. Needless to say, even though I was well away from the box, no Blue Tit was to be seen anywhere. About twelve feet from me was a tall Buddleia Globosa and every now and then a Dunnock would arrive and sit near the top of the branches.

Dunnock

There it would sit for a while, fly away and return a short while later.

Dunnock

It didn't seem to be too bothered by my presence or the camera mirror clattering. Every so often it would make a call.  Peep ....... peep ....... peep.

Dunnock Singing

The number of times it kept coming back to the same bush to make its call I guess this was its chosen vantage spot to call for a mate. I did go back and collect the camcorder but the sight of a tripod seemed to be too much or it had given up calling for a while. There was a cold breeze and my fingers were growing numb so I left the Dunnock in peace and will try again another day now I know where it likes to perform.

13 comments:

  1. Good morning John, nice shots there of the Dunnock. I love to see them about my garden too. I also had been thinking about recording it too. It does have a lovely song.

    BTW, we are joining you once again with of a snow covered garden. It’s coming down relentlessly at the moment :-o

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  2. Lovely shots John. Powerful little singers too.

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  3. Gorgeous photos John! I do like the Dunock which reminds me that I haven't seen one in the garden lately. I really need to get to grips with bird songs/calls, at least then I would know what was around even if they are not showing themselves. I must dig out the CDs I have somewhere.

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  4. Great shots. The Dunnock is an under rated little bird, it has a lovely song, a very quick warble.

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  5. Lovely shots of the 'Hedge Sparrow' John. Our visitor tends to keep well under cover and his singing post is too far away for any decent shots.

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  6. Hello Adrian. Thank you kind sir.

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  7. Hello Shirl. It is nice every now and then to be able to film a bird singing.

    Ah. You have the snow all to yourself today. Nearly reached 8C today but with all the damp it is now foggy. The forecast did mention up to 50cm of snow for some areas of Scotland. Not near you I hope.

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  8. Thank you Keith. It never ceases to surprise me just how loud small birds can be.

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  9. Thank you Jan. I did see a couple a week or so ago but only one at a time now - maybe the same one. I find recognition of bird song very hard to get to hold in my remaining grey cell. Every time I think I've learned one I have forgotten it a week later.

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  10. Thank you Linda. I was fortunate to be near the bush it chose as its singing territory.

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  11. Thank you Frank. The local Dunnock(s) usually disappear rapidly when I go outside. This time I had been crouched down for a while not too far from the bush and it visited several times. Maybe the woodland camouflage cap I was wearing fooled it ;)

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  12. The male does have a beautiful song when it sits at the top of a tree or bush John.

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Thank you for visiting. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Any comment, or correction to any information or identification I get wrong, is most welcome. John

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