Blackbirds singing in the dead of night?

Don't know about you but I slept through the 1am magnitude 5.2 earthquake that hit the UK last night, although I was up 45 minutes later with the baby. It probably has something to do with the fact that we're used to loud rumbles in the night, as our house is not far from a major train line. Rather disappointed to miss it - can anyone report back on what they felt/heard/saw? I heard someone on the radio reporting that blackbirds were singing just before the noise began.

Which all brings me neatly to my sister's speculation on the comments to this post that the trains are what keeps the birds out of my garden. Possible, but I don't think that's the problem as there are plenty of birds in the neighbour's garden, which is even closer to the track.

I think it's got more to do with a lack of cover (which I am trying to rectify with ivy on the fences and some bigger shurbs) and the fact that the birds have never been fed before.

So I am hoping that the new feeder will draw them in. And so far it seems to be working. Yesterday I saw blue tit and a great tit from the kitchen window in the space of about 30 seconds while doing the washing up yesterday. They weren't at the feeder, admittedly, but this is still progress as I've not seen a single tit in the garden before (pause for childish chuckle).

However it's a female blackbird (or perhaps more than one) that is hoovering up the mealworms I've scattered around the ground below the feeder at the moment.

Now all I have to do is get my other peanut feeder up and running and find a good position in the garden, and put down a tray for water.

It's all rather handy, as my daughter has just learned the sign for "bird" so it will be great if we get an opportunity to use it.

Comments

[Katie]

Yes, I think cover is key to attracting birds into a garden. They'll be interested in the food, but they also need to be able to hide from predators.

There's info on the RSPB website about positioning bird feeders: http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/feeding/birdtables/whereshoulditbe.asp

Railway lines can be quite good for wildlife as long as they're not 'managed' too intensively.

Also, a friend who lives in Peterborough reported that Blackbirds and Robins were singing after the tremors.

[Woody Wilbury]

The earth moved for us!

Woken just before 1.00, it sounded as though someone had hurled the dustbin on the roof. Great big roaring banging sound. But then Sheffield is only 50 or 60 miles away from Market Rasen. Lots of reports of roof tiles waltzing about and wardrobe doors flying open. And LOTS of reports of birds singing their heads off in the middle of it.

This is my 3rd earthquake. I was camping in a forest in Wales for the 1984 one, heard deep rumbling and saw trees swaying gently side to side. And a small tremor in Crete last September; so common no-one batted an eyelid. This one was much noisier.

[Lisa]

Yeah, we felt it - but didn't hear anything dramatic (though, in Cheshire, we were quite a long way from the epicentre). The birds did sing just after.
We spent some years living in Japan so have been spoilt for earthquakes! We both woke, went "oh it's an earthquake" and went back to sleep. Most disappointing.