When does the Lesser Whitethroat sing?

[Deb London]

Quick question as I can't find this in on the internet. What time of day am I likely to hear a Lesser Whitethroat?

I read they are breeding locally; I have around 1000 acres to search for one. The best way I can think of to locate one is by song, which I have been learning and seems fairly distinctive. I went out yesterday and heard plenty of Common Whitethroats singing in the middle of the day. Are the LWs likely to be singing then too?

Thank you.

[sunnydale]

Hi Deb

As far as I'm aware, they will sing for a large part of the day during Spring.

I remember watching them in the scrub/brambles last year while walking on the coast path in Pembrokeshire.


Lovely birds!

Tracey

[Deb London]

Brilliant Tracey, thank you. I can go out in broad daylight, which is when I prefer to travel.

[RoyW]

Most passerines will sing at all times during the day early in their breeding season, with the frequency with which they sing dropping off once territories are established and are largely uncontested, and they have found a mate (usually with very little singing once they are busy feeding young).

Where most summer migrants are concerned, this means that the main period for singing is the weeks during which they are arriving.
There will be a peak in song soon after dawn, with the amount of singing then tending to drop off during the morning. Typically there will be much less song during the afternoon, but this tends to pick up again towards the evening.
When they are feeding young they will still sing, to confirm their continued presence on the territory, but this will be more restricted to dawn and perhaps late evening.

Morning will therefore tend to be the best time to go out looking (or rather listening) for Lesser'throats, but that doesn't mean that you will need to be out at the crack of dawn - and you still have a good chance of hearing them if you have a long lie in!

[Deb London]

Thanks for the detailed post Roy. No luck as yet, but I might have more time to go hunting tomorrow.

[ChrisJB]

My local lessers aren't back yet as far as I am aware, but if they are there they are easy to pick up as the song is really quite distinctive.

Regards, Chris

[darrenm]

Found that can they call throughout the day and seem to occupy a territory fairly quick and once you have located that via their call its just a question of wait untill you get to see the bird but from a distance where you do not disturb it, they can however also skulk for long periods of time. The call is very distinctive and you should be able to pick it up fairly quickly if one is about.

The first bird was back on my local patch in Nottinghamshire earlier in the week and normally the site holds two to three pairs but Common Whitethroat greatly outnumber them on that site.

Good luck with your quest

[Gill Catton]

I heard a short burst of song at about 08:30 this morning in Peterborough. And yes you're right a distinctive song and you can often hear it through the noise of the other birds (its distinctive once you've learnt it of course!)

[thunder]

I heard a Lesser Whitethroat singing at around 5.30 (PM) last Monday here in Cambridgeshire.

henrya

[sunnydale]

Roy, you were so much more informative than I was!

Hope you spot one (or two) soon Deb