Of the 793 species identified, photographed and described* in Heene, the majority by Rob Tomlinson, 39 are birds. Some of the species are migratory and are only found in Heene Cemetery in summer, for example the Pied Flycatcher https://www.heenecemetery.org.uk/species/pied-flycatcher Others, e.g.the Goldcrest https://www.heenecemetery.org.uk/species/goldcrest, can be resident or migratory winter visitors. Migration presents such enormous challenges to birds (and indeed many insects) that it can be hard for us to envisage the sheer effort involved. It’s no wonder that so many myths were believed before science enabled us to understand (imperfectly even now) migration patterns, which are changing **. One of these beliefs was that Swallows buried themselves in mud and hibernated, another that they flew to the moon and stayed there for winter.
Perils of migration verses perils of remaining in Winter is the dilemma that has faced birds probably during the whole of their evolution since the Jurassic Era.
At Heene we have resident species who have to adapt their behaviour to cope with low temperatures, of these the Blackbird https://www.heenecemetery.org.uk/species/blackbird may be one of the best loved. Blackbirds have the advantage of being unspecialised omnivorous feeders. They forage on the ground among fallen leaves and vegetation. These birds need uncleared/untidy ground to survive throughout the year, which Heene, as a Local Wildlife Site, can help provide.
But what of specific winter behaviours?
The glorious sound of a Blackbird singing can be heard frequently at Heene in the evening when it is a territorial call, “this is my patch” as a warning to others. It can also be a warning call if a predator is detected. In spring, it’s loud and clear to establish a territory to attract a mate. In very low temperatures the call can seem to be absent. In fact, it may be that they are “closed bill” or “whispering” singing. This is an adaptation which enables a bird to continue singing or even practise singing, whilst diminishing the heat loss that normal open bill singing causes. This is a specific avian adaptation, as there don’t seem to be any examples of humans or mammals in cold climates communicating with their mouths closed.
The title paraphrases a line in the 1968 Beatles song Blackbird, “blackbird singing in the dead of night”.
*With thanks to Rob for this. https://www.heenecemetery.org.uk/blog/rob-tomlinson-environmental-advocate
**Migration patterns are changing, here is an interesting article, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2025/oct/16/bird-migration-is-changing-what-does-this-reveal-about-our-planet-visualised-aoe
Jane Tomlinson