02 Tuesday Apr 2024
Posted in birds
≈ Comments Off on Top of the pops
This handsome male Blackcap had picked a super spot for belting out his award-winning song. With a road bridge above, a giant support pillar in front of him, and a thicket of trees behind, it was like he was on a stage, and his song was amplified to perfection.
(You may remember my blog Name the singer, posted on 14 March. No one tried guessing who was singing in that video – it was one of these gorgeous birds.)
07 Monday May 2018
Tags
birding, birdwatching, Blackcap, Blackcap singing, Blackcap video, British birds, Sylvia atricapilla
Before I moved to Britain, I associated the word Blackcap with cricket: it’s the name of the New Zealand national men’s cricket team. Now, the word means bird, Sylvia atricapilla to be precise, the male with his black cap, the female with her brown one, and I look forward to their return migration each Spring.
The RSPB website notes that the Blackcap’s ‘delightful fluting song has earned it the name “northern nightingale”.’ If you haven’t heard the song, here’s a little video I shot recently of the male bird in action. British birds’ve got talent!