• Our smallest bird, the goldcrest can be distinctly heard giving its very thin song at 0:12 and again at 1:02.
• A robin, (up to about 1:20). Robins have a variable warbling given in short phrases with longer gaps in between. The phrases can be quite piercing or sweet and syrupy.
• A blackbird can be heard giving its melodious and mellow song throughout the section from 1:20 to 2:10.
• Two different species seem to be competing, the chaffinch and wren.
The chaffinch is best heard in isolation at between 1:49-1:51. The song starts out with a few slow clear notes (chip, chip, chip) before speeding up and then finishing with a real flourish. The rhythm has been likened to that of the footfall of a medium-paced bowler, a few plodding steps, picking up speed and then a crescendo as the cricketer bowls.
The wren has a very loud, excited and hurried song. They are capable of belting out over 700 notes per minute. It's an incredibly loud song for such a tiny bird. While it's a chaffinch that begins to sing at around 1:26 it's the wren that carries on up to 1:30. It's a wren that kicks off proceedings at around 1:38 but again the chaffinch interrupts at 1:40.
• Two birds with repetitive songs dominate the rest of the recording. Chiffchaff sings its name, listen out particularly between 2:18-2:20 and again at 2:26-2:29.
• Song thrush has a varied song broken into clear sections of a note or phrase which is repeated four or five times. Listen out for these slightly different phrases repeated at 2:15, 2:24, 2:34, 2:47 and 2:52.
• Other species you can hear include wood pigeon, carrion crow, blue tit, blackcap, mallard, pheasant, coot and the great-crested grebe.
• You'll mainly hear song thrush and chiffchaff from around 2:14 onwards.
