Today at about 1 a.m. I was astonished to hear what I thought was a
nightingale here in Normandy. Is this possible? Has anyone else heard a
nightingale this early in the year?

David
--
David Rance http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk
Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados, France

David Rance wrote:

Today at about 1 a.m. I was astonished to hear what I thought was a
nightingale here in Normandy. Is this possible? Has anyone else heard a
nightingale this early in the year?

David

So unlikely as to be virtually impossible. Nightingales winter south of
the sahara and the earliest arrivals in Europe are late March. In
addition, nightingales sing at dusk and dawn, not in the middle of the
night.

Most likely to be a songthrush or possibly a blackbird, stimulated
either by bright artificial lighting or perhasp a bright, clear full
moon.
--
Larry Stoter

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007, Larry Stoter wrote:

Today at about 1 a.m. I was astonished to hear what I thought was a
nightingale here in Normandy. Is this possible? Has anyone else heard a
nightingale this early in the year?

So unlikely as to be virtually impossible. Nightingales winter south of
the sahara and the earliest arrivals in Europe are late March.

Agreed, though the seasons are all awry these days and we have had
blackbirds and chaffinches mating since early January. It could just be
that the nightingale was blown northwards early on the southerly winds
this year.

In
addition, nightingales sing at dusk and dawn, not in the middle of the
night.

That's what I always thought.

Most likely to be a songthrush or possibly a blackbird, stimulated
either by bright artificial lighting or perhasp a bright, clear full
moon.

It was a dull night with heavy rain out in the country! I also thought
that it might be the blackbird or a song thrush - but it didn't sound
like them.

I'll listen out again tonight.

David

--
David Rance http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk
Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados, France

Although the song is quite different, I can't help wondering whether
you've heard robins singing David. With the onset of the breeding
season males often sing throughout the night, regardless of light
conditions. There's one very cheerful chappie resident in my garden
who's been singing his heart out for several hours every night over
the past few weeks.

On 13/2/07 06:54, in article
, "Dave Poole"
wrote:

Although the song is quite different, I can't help wondering whether
you've heard robins singing David. With the onset of the breeding
season males often sing throughout the night, regardless of light
conditions. There's one very cheerful chappie resident in my garden
who's been singing his heart out for several hours every night over
the past few weeks.

Same in this garden and the owls are going like gangbusters!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)

On Tue, 13 Feb 2007 07:32:58 +0000
Sacha wrote:

On 13/2/07 06:54, in article
, "Dave Poole"
wrote:

Although the song is quite different, I can't help wondering whether
you've heard robins singing David. With the onset of the breeding
season males often sing throughout the night, regardless of light
conditions. There's one very cheerful chappie resident in my garden
who's been singing his heart out for several hours every night over
the past few weeks.

Same in this garden and the owls are going like gangbusters!


An owl spent the night in the attic over my head. When it first woke
me I thought it was the telephone in the other part of the house.
Then it went on, and on...

No Nightingales here yet David, just miles to the south of you.

-E

--
Emery Davis
You can reply to ecom
by removing the well known companies
Questions about wine? Visit http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

David,

Hi,

As a lifelong birder / naturalist (for 40 years) I would suggest that this
is most highly unlikely. Nightingales are not an early summer migrant and
would not normally be on territory for a few months yet.

By coincidence a friend here in Dorset asked me a similar question a few
days ago. I suggested to him that it's most likely to be a Robin. They do
sing at night... and the call is all the more 'obvious' when everything else
is quiet. The Robin is usually the first of all birds to sing during spring
dawn chorus - and they very often start before daybreak.

Of course it 'may' be a Nightingale... nothing in the world of ornithology
seems impossible.

With best wishes,

Keith
Dorset, UK


"David Rance" wrote in message
...
Today at about 1 a.m. I was astonished to hear what I thought was a
nightingale here in Normandy. Is this possible? Has anyone else heard a
nightingale this early in the year?

David
--
David Rance
http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk
Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados,
France

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007, Dave Poole wrote:

Although the song is quite different, I can't help wondering whether
you've heard robins singing David. With the onset of the breeding
season males often sing throughout the night, regardless of light
conditions. There's one very cheerful chappie resident in my garden
who's been singing his heart out for several hours every night over
the past few weeks.

Yes, that does seem more likely. I hadn't thought of the robin.

Grateful thanks to all those who responded to my question.

David

--
David Rance http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk
Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados, France

Take a look at this site with recordings of popular wild birds see if it
helps identify your feathered friend


http://www.wildsong.demon.co.uk/LR/listening.html
Did have another site which helped me identify a buzzard seen around my
garden one summer afternoon last year. but cant find link just at moment



regards
Cineman



"David Rance" wrote in message
...
Today at about 1 a.m. I was astonished to hear what I thought was a
nightingale here in Normandy. Is this possible? Has anyone else heard a
nightingale this early in the year?

David
--
David Rance
http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk
Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados,
France

On Tue, 13 Feb 2007, cineman wrote:

Take a look at this site with recordings of popular wild birds see if it
helps identify your feathered friend

Interesting. The recording of the nightingale on that site was made at 2
a.m.! Even later than when I heard the bird in question. I was awake
last night at around 3 a.m. and heard it again but the rain was making
so much noise I couldn't hear the song properly. Strange - it was
singing in the rain the other night.

Many thanks for that, though I'll have to wait until I get back to
England to hear it as Realplayer crashes my laptop!

David

--
David Rance http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk
Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados, France

On Tue, 13 Feb 2007 21:57:14 +0000, cineman wrote
(in article ) :

"David Rance" wrote in message
...

Today at about 1 a.m. I was astonished to hear what I thought was a
nightingale here in Normandy. Is this possible? Has anyone else heard a
nightingale this early in the year?

Take a look at this site with recordings of popular wild birds see if it
helps identify your feathered friend


http://www.wildsong.demon.co.uk/LR/listening.html
Did have another site which helped me identify a buzzard seen around my
garden one summer afternoon last year. but cant find link just at moment


This one has identification and bird song:
http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birdindex.htm



--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
bed and breakfast near Ludlow: http://www.stonybrook-ludlow.co.uk
Burne-Jones/William Morris window in Shropshire church:
http://www.whitton-stmarys.org.uk