I wonder if you are like me? I eagerly await the new season of bird song, summer migrants, wild flowers, busy insects and so, as soon as the shortest day passes I start looking for signs of spring! A bit early perhaps? No, if you start looking early you see just small but significant changes.
One of the first things is the dunnock beginning to utter the first few tentative notes of his song. As the days progress he grows in confidence and soon the dunnock joins with the robins and song thrushes in heralding spring.
When I was young my father called this a hedge sparrow but, as it is not a sparrow, the name changed back in the 1970's I suppose. It is a members of the Accentor family and so, on the formal British nomenclature list it is known as the Hedge Accentor. Three names for the same little bird.
As a garden bird it ranks number 11. In the RSPB Garden Bird Watch it is reported from 54% of gardens but in the BTO garden recording scheme it is seen in 81% of gardens, a major difference. I put this down to under recording in the RSPB event as many observers will just put this down as a sparrow and not realise exactly what it is.
It is a rather plain little brown bird that skulks around the bottom of hedges and shrubbery minding its own business. But it is also a little brown bird with a delightful song that is a very welcome addition to our gardens and the countryside in general.
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