The Sounds of Farmland takes a look at the songs and calls that float over fields and hover above hedgerows when we step out into the great patchwork that makes up much of our countryside.
Whether it is a Skylark ascending and dropping its magnificent melodies, the Yellowhammer begging for his bread and no cheese or a hoarse-sounding Pheasant in need of a cough sweet, this is your guide to some of the birds that make our farmlands home.
Of course, many of our more common birds also live on heathlands, and you can hear their songs in the Sounds Of… Parks and Gardens and Sounds of Parks and Gardens - Tits and Finches pages.
The Skylark is bigger than a sparrow, but smaller than a Starling, often seen fluttering in a hover, silhouetted against the sky. If you do see one up close, they’re streaky brown with a quiff-like crest that Morrissey would be proud of. They raise this when excited or alarmed – the bird we mean – although we suspect that Morrissey can too.
The Tree Sparrow may be smarter looking than the House Sparrow, but they lack the cheeky chappy confidence of their more streetwise relation. Males and females look the same and go for a chestnut-coloured 'flat cap' in keeping with their country casual attire. Bright white cheeks with a black patch complete the look.
The Whitethroat’s white throat is its distinguishing feature, looking like a little feathery beard on both the male and female. The bold, confident summer visitor also has a long tail and a rather large head which looks slightly too big for its body.
A slimline brown and grey finch, the male Linnet’s red breast and forehead look like they have been dabbed on by a toddler. The female managed to escape before the child got too close.
The male Yellowhammer has a yellow belly and face, which beams brightly from high branches and hedgerows as they sing. The female is browner and both have a streaky brown back.
The Lapwing looks like a futuristic bird drawn in the 80s – their crest a beeping antenna, their feathers a shimmering cape of purple and green. From a distance and in flight they look black and white. In spring, the male performs steep dives and tight-angled turns to impress the females.
Like something straight out of The Clangers, Lapwings are masters of the slide whistle, going up and down the musical scale with a sense of joyful abandon, mischief and alarm, sometimes all at the same time.
It would be easy to just say the Yellow Wagtail is yellow and wags its tail, but life is never that easy. You see, the Grey Wagtail is also yellow in parts and wags its tail, but this larger bird is usually found near running water and is here all year. The Yellow Wagtail is a summer visitor with an olive green rather than grey back, and prefers running along in damp grasslands and arable land. The male has a bright yellow belly while the female is paler, as if she has been through the wash a few times.
The Pheasant is a large long-tailed bird which can sprint like Usain Bolt but flies like a slightly more aerodynamic chicken. The male strides out in a chestnut tweed suit, white silk scarf and big red cheeks as if he has a penchant for port, while the female is speckled brown all over.
A summer visitor who effortlessly skims over trees, hedgerows and fields in search of food. Their glossy blue backs contrast with their white undersides, while a red throat and tail streamers add a flourish just to make the House Martins jealous.
A dainty dove, who is smaller than their collared cousin and wears a brighter, more intricate topcoat of chestnut and black. Forever associated with Christmas, this rare summer visitor is long gone before even the keenest supermarket puts the selection boxes out.
The Turtle Dove probably got its name from its ”turrr turrr” call. This soft, pleasant purring was once the sound of an English summer but now is only heard in a few locations, mainly in the south and east.
The Corn Bunting is our biggest bunting, with males and females looking the same, dressed in streaky brown. Yes, they’re a little bit dumpy, have big chunky beaks and they dangle their legs when flying, but we think this adds to their charm.
A metallic song which sounds like a jangling set of keys. On hearing it, many people perform the famous “pat the pockets” dance to check they haven’t lost theirs. Often sings from a perch or wire way up high.
The Grey Partridge is a medium sized dumpy bird which we believe has never actually been spotted in a pear tree. It prefers the ground, where it’s often seen in groups. While their body is grey as the name suggests, their face has a fine orange glow.
A short “kirrut” call which is repeated. Sounds scratchy, like scraping a stick down a chalk board.