The hawthorn hedge which borders my front drive is these days a hive of activity and the high pitched sounds coming from it of House Sparrows excitedly going about their mating rituals, welcome though it is, is not the most aesthetically pleasing of spring birdsong. The Dunnocks are there in numbers too and there's plenty of their sometimes charming little song. It's easy to see why the alternative name for Dunnock of Hedge Sparrow became popular. Here both species are occupying similar territories and for all their differences both behave with little attention to basic standards of decency, as my maiden aunts' generation would think.
We love them all, but it has to be admitted we get better spring music up on Blacka. Here's a small and typical sample, also very busy:
Meanwhile near the Wall Caff the feeders are entertained by a more select group, Blackcap, various other warblers and a drumming woodpecker. My friendly Blackbird who has awaited me every morning of recent months is now more familiar than ever, demanding food to fill her beak and carry off into the nearby rhododendron. While my new grandchildren are content with mother's milk her offspring get M&S cheddar from an early age.
Still no cuckoo.
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