Nightingale vigil (II) - success!
I am so excited. Last night I had an amazing experience. It was on a par with seeing (rather fuzzy) Northern Lights in the sky behind our local pub and seeing fireflies in Tuscany. I walked up to the village wood with a friend. There was a full moon and the wind was blowing the trees slightly. There were no sounds though - just slight rustlings and whisperings of cow parsley and the ash tree we stood beneath. Then there was a tentative chirrup. This was no blackbird - it was 10.30pm. Then the song began in earnest and it was very close by. Our ears were filled with the most amazing birdsong from a nightingale. There were such high notes and low trills. Then a repeating quiet note getting steadily louder. It was very moving. My friend and I just sat on a nearby bench and listened.
What’s more I can share it with you. Here it is - the dim light you can see is the moon shining through the trees. The nightingale was literally just a metre or two away from me when I recorded this:
Ain’t nature grand? Here’s a little picture of Mr N. He’s such an unassuming little brown bird:
Image borrowed from the RSPB
We feel very privileged to have the nightingale here as they are in decline in Britain and have amber status. Click here for further RSPB information. I might nip up there tonight and have another listen - or pop my head out of the bathroom window - I can hear him from there too!
May 9th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
How fantastic! I’m so envious! I may have to go round to a friend’s house so I can listen to “your” nightingale as my ‘puter doesn’t have sound :o(
Locket xxx
May 9th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
He is definitely an assuming looking fella, isn;t he? Beautiful soundage Missus
May 9th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
What a treat!
By the way, the robins have finally discovered the feeder you gave us and are bringing their babies to our kitchen window!!!
May 9th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Wow what a great bit of film (well, sound, but you know what I mean! Nice to have the moon to look at.) How lovely to hear a nightingale like that. I’ve been catching up on your other blogs too - the Led Zep dancing is just wonderful! Such cute little Ps. Bless.
May 9th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
How lovely, I don’t think I have ever heard this before!
May 9th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
aaah, thats lovely! what a beautiful way to spend an evening.
xxxx
May 9th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
How amazing is that and what a perfect end to an evening- you are very lucky!
Have a lovely weekend,
Nina x
May 9th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
How wonderful! I heard nightngales once, years ago and their song is so beautiful.
I’m so envious that you can hear them from your bathroom window!
xxx
May 9th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
That is amazing..I would love to have been there!
May 9th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
wow, amazing.
I was sitting in my garden this afternoon with my laptop on my knee and all was quiet except for bird song. It sounded so tranquil - I just wished I could have recorded it, but wasn’t really prepared for it. Thanks for sharing.
Monda
X
May 9th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Wonderful and thanks so much for the recording - I have always wanted to hear a nightingale. We have great bird life here, including cuckoos and kingfishers and black grouse, but no nightingale. Perhaps we are too far north. So glad your persistence was rewarded.
May 10th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Lucky you - how wonderful! I wish the sound was working on my computer!
May 10th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Wow - that’s amazingly clear sound. What did you record it with? Well done you.
x
May 10th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Incredible. How fortunate you were to have heard…and recorded..that.It sent shivers down my spine.
May 10th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
How utterly wonderful. I am almost tempted to play this in my garden tonight so that I can get (almost) the full experience.
May 10th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
WOW!! that’s amazing. Your patience paid off! x
May 10th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
I’m so happy for you - amazing song
May 12th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Oh Emma
That’s wonderful
I’m so happy for you
I wish I had been there
Thank you so much for sharing the video
Isn’t it one of the sweetest sounds ever!
x
Sumea
August 2nd, 2009 at 10:24 am
Emma
Thank you for sharing this
It is very special and I am sure that whilst I sit here bathed in the rare sun at night the mood would have been electric
Spookily the word verification is charms
August 17th, 2009 at 9:42 am
[…] the nightingale and the barnacles I have a plan to make more little wildlife films and post them here (if you […]