9 April 2009

Last year, Peter Goodfellow heard his earliest-ever singing Blackcap, in February. In that month’s Harrier, Peter appealed for other records from Devon, but none were received – until his own record this year: a Blackcap that sang loudly twice from a thicket of pussy willow in his garden at 10.45am on 7 March.

Peter writes: “On 19 March I listened to and watched a bird which sang for at least two minutes nonstop in a camelia in Mount Edgcombe's garden near Torpoint. This is the first time I have heard such prolonged song, which was loud and clear and richly phrased – more like a ‘generous’ Garden Warbler.

Eric Sims in British Warblers (1985, Collins) records that "there is a very full version or elaboration of the basic song early in the summer… for up to two and a half minutes". However, March is a bit too soon for ‘early summer’!

Although Sims writes that song in winter is not uncommon, I have heard it rarely, and usually as sub-song. C.F. Mason in The Blackcap (1995, Hamlyn) states that "in the winter quarters in East Africa, song is heard from late January and with increasing intensity into March".

So, I am wondering again if my increasingly hearing early song is a feature of early territorial activity by wintering birds. I'll happily write up a summary of records should I receive any replies this time, hopefully indicating how widespread the habit is.”

If you have any records of early-singing Blackcaps – from this or previous years – that you would like to send to Peter, please do so via info@devonbirds.org, putting ‘Early-singing Blackcaps’ in the email subject line.