The thrushes sing as the sun is going,
And the finches whistle in ones and pairs,
And as it gets dark loud nightingales
In bushes
Pipe, as they can when April wears,
As if all Time were theirs.
These are brand new birds of twelvemonths’ growing,
Which a year ago, or less than twain,
No finches were, nor nightingales,
Nor thrushes,
But only particles of grain,
And earth, and air, and rain.
Thomas Hardy
Spring is a season of new beginnings for birds. Discover how they sing to attract mates, their fascinating courtship rituals, breeding behaviour, nesting habits, the journey from egg to chick, and how they raise their young.
Text about the dawn chorus
Do you ask what the birds say?
The sparrow, the dove,
The linnet and thrush say, ‘I love and I love!’
In the winter they’re silent – the wind is so strong;
What it says, I don’t know, but it sings a loud song.
But green leaves, and blossoms, and sunny warm weather,
And singing, and loving – all come back together.
But the lark is so brimful of gladness and love,
The green fields below him, the blue sky above,
That he sings, and he sings; and forever sings he –
‘I love my Love, and my Love loves me!’
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
British birds are struggling to find nesting sites. As gardens, parks, and woodlands become tidier, many natural holes and crevices they rely on for shelter are disappearing. Modern buildings also offer fewer nooks and crannies for birds to nest in, contributing to population declines in several species.
Find out how to choose the perfect nest box, where to place it, how to maintain it, and how to attract birds to make it their home. Plus, you’ll find step-by-step instructions for making your own!
Have you heard a cuckoo this spring?
The 14th April is St. Tiburtius Day and is traditionally when you will hear the first cuckoo.
On hearing the first cuckoo in spring it is traditional to pen a letter to The Times, but you can also send your reports to us – we’d love to hear from you. Just let us know when and where you heard or saw it.
When the days get longer and warmer, winter visitors will depart our shores, and resident birds will be joined by summer migrants returning to their breeding grounds from places like Africa.
After arriving in spring, they’ll spend their time finding mates, building their nests, and raising the next generation of chicks. Birds are at their most active at this time of year and can be heard singing early in the morning or spotted darting about in search of insects for their babies.
Sleek, slender bird with a forked tail and long streamers usually seen in flight. Glossy blue-black upperparts, pale underparts, and red throat. Arrives in the UK in April and departs in late September. Look out for them over farmland, and near freshwater and coasts.
Small flycatcher with a round head and short tail. Male has mostly black upperparts and white underparts with a bold white patch on the wing. Female is brown above and buffy-white below. Arrives in April and leaves in October. Can be seen in oak woods in western England and Wales.
Small, dainty dove with a distinctive purring call. Mottled chestnut and black upperparts, pale pink breast, and white belly. Small black and white patch on the neck. Migrates to the UK in April and leaves in September. Found in hedgerows, scrub, and fields.
