06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January

Summary

Don't miss our January 6th issue where we will explore the evocative sounds of January. Discover the unique calls of wildfowl and waders along the estuary, from the clucking of teal to the haunting cries of curlews. Learn about the fascinating Glastonbury thorn and the vibrant winter plumage of birds. Whether you're a bird enthusiast or just love nature, this article will help you appreciate the rich sounds and sights of January.

Article

Sounds

Arguably the most evocative sounds of January are those of various wildfowl and waders to be heard along the sides of the estuary e.g. at Rainham marshes, Barking bay and Crossness.

06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January Section Image

06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January Section Image

Of particular note are those of teal, which make short clucking calls to each other. The males are said to ‘bleat’ and the females utter a nasal quack. Both have similar flight calls which can carry some distance.

Rafts of Brent geese are always worth listening to. When heard from a distance they seem to be complaining or muttering to each other with their deep, throaty calls. When disturbed they fly off with more of a chattering sound and if you are lucky enough to see a vast flock they are said to roar.

06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January Section Image

06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January Section Image

There is also the soft whistling of wigeon as well as the buzzing sounds made by lapwings as they move around in flocks. If you are lucky enough to encounter curlews, listen out for their mournful calls which are regarded by many as the most haunting sound of all. West Thurrock marshes is a place to listen for them.

06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January Section Image

06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January Section Image

Glastonbury Thorn

Today is twelfth night and the end of the Christian festival. In the past it was actually Christmas Day itself and a time when the Glastonbury thorn Crataegus monogyna ‘biflora’ was known to come into flower. Traditionally the original tree was created from the staff carried by Joseph of Arimathea, which turned into a tree when it was placed in the ground at Glastonbury in Somerset.

06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January Section Image

06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January Section Image

It was famous for having the miraculous property of flowering twice, once at Christmas and then later in May. Less romantically, it is a form of our native wild hawthorn C. monogyna which occasionally produces more flowers in mild conditions. Sadly, it is very rarely encountered in London and is surprisingly absent from churchyards.

Bird Colour

Feathers have to be in perfect condition in the winter to ensure they carry out their important function of insulation. They have an added intensity of colour and an extra gloss this month, which is not going unnoticed by females and is even lustrous enough to catch our eye.

06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January Section Image

06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January Section Image

Greenfinches appear to have an added flash of yellow as they fly past and blue tits seem more blue with their heads almost azure. The central chest stripes on male and female great tits stand out more against a brighter yellow background. The male has a distinctly broader stripe than the female.

Lapwings also have more contrast to their pied feathers. The white is whiter and the black and greens are more iridescent. Jays seem pinker and green woodpeckers a more vivid green as well as possessing a brighter scarlet flash.

Chaffinches are said to have all the colours of the rainbow except violet. Their breast is red and orange, wingtips yellow, rump green, nape blue and part of the tail indigo.

06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January Section Image

06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January Section Image

Mistle thrushes can be separated from song thrushes as the patch of olive green under their wings and the white edges to their tails are now more noticeable. Both have spotted chests but the spots are larger in the mistle thrush and cover more of the throat and cheeks. Some of the migrant song thrushes can now sometimes be picked out as they are slightly darker.

Starlings have lost the buff tips to their feathers and have a new glossy iridescence. Their plumage has greens, purples, silver, gold and their bills may be turning a pale sulphur. The base of the bill in the male has a bluish tinge and is pink in the female. Even their eyes differ. Both are brown but the female has a pale ring around her iris.

06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January Section Image

06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January Section Image

From a distance teal look almost invisible, but close up the drake now has a magnificent chestnut head with a iridescent bottle green eye patch. His eye patch is edged in buff and curves elegantly back to his nape. He also has a vermiculated back and a handsome yellow wedge, edged in black, on his tail.

06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January Section Image

06-Jan Sounds and Sights of January Section Image

Teal prefer quiet places which is why we don’t see them on our park lakes. Instead we find them at the edges of the Thames in places like Crossness or roosting quietly on our larger reservoirs. When flushed they rise almost vertically giving rise to their collective noun of ‘a spring of teal’. The flock then hurtles off in a compact group, often turning like a corkscrew as they go.