I am an amateur and have no learned knowledge of the ways of birds in the early morning hours before sunrise. This realization came to me while I lay in bed wide awake at 4:00 AM listening for bird sounds. This is what I discovered today, the first day of the month of May (my birth month).
The first birdsong that I heard was a lazy call from the bird that yesterday I guessed to be a crow. Today I doubt that it is a crow, but with lack of understanding I will continue call him a crow. The first time I heard him today was around 4:30 AM. His voice was weak, as though he still had his eyes closed and only barely awake. Do birds yawn? I did not hear him for another 10 or 12 minutes; this time his voice was not noticeably stronger, but he did let out two faint notes. Another 8 to 10 minutes passed; his voice was a tad stronger. Then at 5:00 AM he was awake and began his ritual of calling to the world that he was up and awake. Or perhaps his calls were to other birds that it was time to begin singing. Are the calls from this crow the alarm clock for the bird kingdom?
I got out of bed and went closer to the window in order to listen for other birds. I heard them, happy chirps from small birds, perhaps sparrows. But even they were not fully awake. I say this because they would chirp a few seconds and then go silent for a minute and then begin again. Maybe they were birds of a family calling to one another. Of course you realize that I am again guessing. Meanwhile, the crow continued his call.
I had the idea to go outdoors, to get dressed and put on a warm jacket and walk outside to listen to birdsong. The temperature on our deck showed that it was only 40 degrees, so I put on a wool hat too.
Once outside I became quickly disappointed. Did the birds sense I was present and stop their singing? Besides, when I walked outdoors all that I really heard was the noise and rumble of vehicles from a nearby highway. Sigh. I came to listen to birds and heard only the sounds of our automobiles and trucks. Does the noise of humans driving vehicles disappoint the birds too?
Tomorrow I think I will return to listening to birdsong from my bed near the open window.
– Joseph