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May 2018
10:24am, 10 May 2018
2,543 posts
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steve45
Superb Swift Spots there! None for me yet! A very favourite bird of mine, particularly their vocal presence which was going on all around the hospital when my son was born way back in the early 70's.
Usual (bloody) Cetti's, Reed, Sedge, Whitethroat etc but Willow Warblers seem to have moved on and not about now.
Great advice here for learning bird calls and songs; It sure does add to what you can "spot" or bother to chase but as someone here mentioned, you have to repeat the observation/song realtionship often, in the beginning, or you'll forget it. I tend not to bother to look at half the species I record ! I have to say that I was once ok with wader calls too but a lack of regular visits to the coast has made me more than rusty and it would take a while to get the skill back.
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May 2018
10:58am, 10 May 2018
25,811 posts
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Derby Tup
I spent ages reading up on wader id and aren’t bad now with most sightings. I found their calls tough though. Lots are high pitched and similar sounding
A friend of mine who’s a good runner once said it’s on the job description of a wading bird to make silly high pitched calls 
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May 2018
2:13pm, 10 May 2018
1,965 posts
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jacdaw
I have the same mystery warblers in my garden; I'm going for garden warbler rather than blackcap. I have the same problem every year.
No swifts yet this year. Still got redpoll and siskin on my nijer feeder. And a regular male goosander visible on the river from the edge of the garden.
Lots of snipe calling locally this year, and decent numbers of golden plover. Lapwings seem a bit thin on the ground, as do hirundines. Curlew seem to be winding down; far fewer calls.
Still no roding woodcock, but it still feels a bit early. Maybe I'm not outside at the right time.
And a comment to whoever had problems with wren song; nothing else sounds quite like it is about to explode with the sheer force of singing as a wren.
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May 2018
3:06pm, 10 May 2018
33,210 posts
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alpenrose
Back from my river loop for the first time this year. The swan is back on the nest and another further along the river which hasn't had a family there for a few years now. I also saw (I think) my first swifts and the swallows are back in the barn and sounds like they have a new family already.
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May 2018
3:55pm, 10 May 2018
1,226 posts
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J2R
Great summery sightings all round, there!
DT, swifts are one of my favourite birds, too, a real summer marker.
Jacdaw, it was me who said about the wren song. I don't have any problem recognising it myself but the wife does, not sure why. I might argue, though, that the Cetti's warbler is even more likely to explode with the sheer force of singing. Discuss.
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May 2018
4:09pm, 10 May 2018
1,966 posts
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jacdaw
Easy for me; no cettis up here!
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May 2018
7:45pm, 10 May 2018
25,814 posts
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Derby Tup
Cetti’s are shouters. Willow warblers and wrens give it full diesel but the wood warbler is my candidate
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May 2018
8:21pm, 10 May 2018
1,227 posts
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J2R
Wrens remind me of those little round whistles that were around when I was a boy - small but able to make an impressively loud noise.
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May 2018
8:29pm, 10 May 2018
25,816 posts
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Derby Tup
You can almost hear the pea rattling inside
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May 2018
9:04am, 11 May 2018
2,545 posts
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steve45
What about the most banal bird song?! For such a striking looking bird it has to be Bullfinch!
Yeah..I would also go for Cetti's being shouters DT.
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