Text: Peep Veedla
Photo: Arne Ader
Recording: Veljo Runnel, Loodusheli
Translation: Liis from forum
Chaffinch singing.
In spring the chaffinch arrives to Estonia at the end of March or beginning of April. The song can be heard from its arrival until the second half of July. It is a common and numerous songbird everywhere in areas with trees, and it is not particularly shy of humans. The singing starts 25-45 minutes before sunrise and ends already before sunset. The song of the chaffinch is a descending sequence of notes, similar to the song of the willow warbler. They are particularly similar when the chaffinch leaves out the loud “tikk” sound at the end of his song. The calling sound (and also alarm sound) is a loud “pink”. During the nesting period the male birds call with a soft “rüüt”. On the whole the chaffinch has a quite large “vocabulary” and the meaning of all sounds is not yet clear.
In Pirita garden city we met some twenty species of birds, among them our most numerous songbirds, the chaffinch and the willow warbler, and the most musical of songbirds, the blackbird, presented a glorious concert. We also heard the very high-pitched notes of the goldcrest, and a nicely croaking crow, and enjoyed the singing of the lesser whitethroat, wood warbler, icterine warbler, robin, redstart, greenfinch, and pied flycatcher, and also of the blue tit and the great tit. We also saw fieldfare, starling, house sparrow, wagtail and herring gulls. As we were gathering in front of the Pirita city hall, nightingale song reached us from Pirita river.
The morning was beautifully sunny and crisp
.
Inviting you to listen: Looduse Omnibuss, Loodusring, Looduskalender, Tallinna Linnuklubi, Tallinna Keskkonnaamet, Eestimaa Rohelised, Eestimaa Looduse Fond and Viru Folk
Wednesday, May 20 at 6.30 am birdsong hour in Nõmme garden city. Meeting place: the entrance to Nõmme market. Guide Tiit Vohta.
Thursday, May 21 at 6.30 am birdsong hour in Kadriorg. Meeting place at Luigetiik. Guide Tiit Vohta.
Friday May 22 at 6.30 am birdsong hour at Snelli tiik. Meeting place the corner of Nunne street opposite Balti railway station. Guide Tiit Vohta.
Listening to birdsong is still free of charge!
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