Dive into the nocturnal world of owls and other fascinating bird calls in our upcoming article. Discover the enchanting hoots of tawny owls in London's parks, the eerie screeches of barn owls, and the melodic calls of chaffinches and goldcrests. Learn to identify these unique sounds and explore the rich tapestry of bird life that fills the winter nights and early mornings.
Join us on February 3rd for an in-depth exploration of these captivating avian voices. Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your connection with nature and appreciate the beauty of bird song in the heart of winter!
Article
Owl hoots and other bird calls
Owls hooting at night used to be a sound very much associated with February. Nowadays, the only owl likely to be heard in central London is the tawny owl, although others can sometimes be heard on the outskirts of the city. Tawny owls are said to start hooting in the third week of February and are especially vocal on calm, starry nights. The female is usually heard first. She produces the familiar ‘tu-whit, tu-whit’ and the male then follows with his long drawn out ‘oo-oo-oo’ making up Shakespeare’s famous ‘tu-whit tu-whoo’. Tawny owls can still be heard on Wimbledon Common, in Syon Park and in Hainaut Forest.
Along the estuary, on open marsh, the short-eared owl can produce a series of short, deep hoots, but a short ‘whowk’ as if the bird was annoyed, is heard more often. After the tawny owl, it is the little owl which is probably the next most likely to be heard. They produce a short, loud yelp in open country, including golf courses. The call has also been described as a harsh, fierce squeal.
Richmond Park and Bushy Park are two places where it might still be heard. The barn owl is also called the screech owl, on account of its blood-curdling screech. Like most owls, it has other vocalisations, some tremulous and others more like whistles. Its unforgettable milk and honey luminous form is more likely to be seen rather than its voice being heard. The river valleys in north east London are where to listen for it. The last of our native owls, the long-eared owl, might still possibly be heard in some outer areas of Essex. He delivers a long drawn-out, melancholy, wavering ‘oo-oo-oo-oo’ which is also described as having a moaning or even a groaning quality. This can be heard up to half a mile away. The female might reply from her preferred habitat of pinewoods, with just a short yelp.
Two others birds often heard in conifer woodland at this time are the chaffinch and goldcrest. The call of the chaffinch has been translated into ‘tal-der-ral-der-ral-der-ral-kiss-me-dear’. Its flow has also been described as being like a cricket bowler running and then releasing the ball. Other amusing translations used in the past for the chaffinch’s song include ‘It’s very, very hot, I’d like some ginger beer’ or ‘see-see-see-see-what a beautiful egg she’s laid’ as well as ‘in a week or two we’ll see the wheatears’. Any of these can be useful in identifying this common call although this month the last kiss-me-dear section may be missing as young birds may be still learning their calls from older adults. Car parks by conifer woodland are good places to listen for them, as the birds come to feed there and often deliver their calls from the same tree each day.
Also among conifers, goldcrests are still vocal, producing their exceedingly high pitched thin call. The call usually lasts for three or four seconds followed by a five second or so gap. These tiny birds are often high in the tree and consequently not seen. As their calls are not loud and don’t tend to carry they can easily be missed.
In deciduous woods, treecreepers can also now be heard more than last month, although they have not yet quite reached their peak. Their calls are also thin, and relatively quiet, like those of the goldcrest. It has been described as sibilant, weak, complaining and plaintive. One of its translations is ‘see-see-see-sissy pee’. In similar woodland situations you might also possibly hear the first boyish whistles of a nuthatch or perhaps the single harsh grating call of a pheasant.
Wrens are producing their loud ‘ticking’ calls again in gardens. This sound has justifiably been compared to a grandfather clock. Being small, these birds suffer more in hard weather and so tend to be heard much more in mild winters. Also in gardens, hedge sparrows have now increased their repertoire from a few brief, cheerful warbles to a longer, sweeter, more complicated call which has been likened to an old sewing machine.
Rather less commonly heard are stock doves and skylarks. Much rarer sounds, that were common in the past, could include yellowhammer, meadow pipit, linnet and corn bunting. However, now it is park lakes which continue to be noisy with wildfowl and especially gulls and geese. In marshy areas it will be curlews, lapwings or perhaps even a reed bunting that you might hear.
