The Dee and Thereabouts

Month: July 2025

  • Singing in the Rain

    (Sunday 10th March 2024)

        At Loggerheads Country Park this morning with Stu, in constant rain. As we walked down the left bank of the river towards the wooden bridge, there was a flash of yellow as a bird swooped in front of us: sure enough a grey wagtail had crossed our path. It bobbed its tail for us for a moment or two before departing. We crossed over and began our walk along the muddy Leete path. As we entered the wood just beyond the kennels, we heard a song thrush. Through my binoculars we could see him on top of a conifer singing joyously, impervious to the relentless rain. He sang a musical phrase and repeated it a couple of times, then selected another phrase from his varied repertoire, repeated that a couple of times and so on.  

        We continued along the increasingly soggy path, encountering blackbirds and robins on the way. After another two miles, we decided to turn back – the path was just getting more muddy and watery. Re-approaching the kennels, we were amazed to hear the song thrush was still there perched on top of his conifer and still happily singing!  I have read that song thrushes are happy when it rains as there are more worms wriggling their way to the surface to escape the water, but surely they would be on the ground tucking in? The Mistle Thrush is the thrush that has the reputation for singing from the treetops in bad weather – in fact, it has also been known by the name of Storm Cock due to this habit. But this was a song thrush that we saw and heard. Perhaps it’s something that runs in the family!

  • Unflappable Buzzard

    (Thursday 19th June, 2025)

        In the garden during today’s promised heatwave (the temperature reached 29° in Hawarden). I could hear two Wood pigeons calling to each other and some Jackdaws doing the same. From time to time, I heard what I first thought was a single long ‘coo’, which came across as a long purr of contentment! However, I soon realised that the long purring ‘coo’ was preceded by a shorter sound, and this was probably the sound of a nesting Wood pigeon.

        Interspersed with it usual melodious song, a Blackbird issued a series of clicks – tchk – tchk – tchk … and these were answered by its mate as it passed by over the garden fence. I’m sure that there’s a nest in the hedge, although I’m not quite sure what the clicking noises mean.

        My ponderings were interrupted by several piercing cries from above. I looked up and saw that the racket was coming from three Herring gulls that had become alarmed by the appearance of a Common buzzard. Despite the ‘mobbing’ of the gulls, the buzzard continued unperturbed in its majestic ascent on the thermals. I noted that none of the gulls came too close to the predator though: I’ve watched even single crows chasing buzzards with more boldness!

        Things settled down as the buzzard slowly gyrated further through the azure sky. Two of the Herring gulls seemed to take it in turns to guard a chimney pot on one of the nearby houses, so they may well be nesting and perhaps this explains the earlier commotion. Mind you, they are noisy birds anyway!