Tuesday, 14 June 2011

Singing Chaffinch

It has always bugged me that I find it so hard to learn birdsong enough to identify. I even had a whole sound theme on my computer at one stage with different bird songs for opening and closing files, new email, starting up and so on.  That didn't work, and anyway I prefer a silent setting as I often have the radio on. It annoys me even more because I know I have a musical ear - play me a song a few times and I can pick out all the basic and most of the less basic chords. You'll lose me when it gets to things like minor sevenths with added ninths and so on, but it always surprises C how much I can pick up and if he finds the sheet music I am right. And picking up a melody by ear on the flute is easy - it's only if I want to harmonise that I like to see some music, or at least the chords.
 Anyway - this was the year I learned to identify a chaffinch from its song, so when we heard a bird singing loudly in the trees just as we crossed the railway line and turned down the canal I was able to say "that's a chaffinch". And I was right....



1 comment:

Lorraine said...

The birdsong has been waking me up in the morning. There are so many sounds, I know what you mean. There are a few that I've learned - the bluebird, of course, and the goldfinches, and the bluejays. Though they may have more than one call for different circumstances. It's just so melodious even though I'd rather sleep in!