To be confused - Birds

[JanglingJack]

The feathered variety!

I love a bit of birdsong and I'm lucky enough to live in an area with a vast variety of birds.

I've been waking at 3am when they start chirping but tonight I haven't been to bed yet and I noticed at midnight (now coming on for 2am) that neither have they!

Is it because the babies aren't sleeping (I'm no Attenborough 😂) or are these new ultra bright Street lights confusing them? And me!

What if they get too tired to fly and just drop out of the sky because they can't be arsed flapping?

Maybe I should go to bed...

Might be more of an Am I Being Thick rather than U.

Is there a bright outside light on somewhere? Or, yes, street lights.

There's an all night garage near us where you can hear birds cheaping even when it's dark. The staff told me they go on all through the night because of the lights.

I would imagine that birds with babies would try to be quieter rather than louder but I am also no Attenborough!

The switch to white led streetlights is really bad for wildlife. The white light tricks their circadian rhythms into believing it's daylight, so birds are being heard at night with increasing frequency.

It isn't good for any of us - we ought to move back to an ambient orange light in streetlights (lights should also be designed to angle the light downwards to prevent light pollution).

The led lights don’t have to be white do they? Couldn’t be changed?

i had wondered why I could hear birds at night. And there are led street lights all down the road!

Haha @Mothership4two no Attenboroughs here!

Thank you both.

Yes, there's a brand new bright white Led light in alleyway 2 doors down.
I'm very close to the town centre, but all of our houses are separated by hawthorn hedgerows and we have a few nature parks/river walks etc within a 10 min walk, so quite a lot of wildlife.

I feel sorry for them!

I don't suppose the council will listen for a second 🙄

I've just looked out of the back bedroom at the offending light which is facing down. However it's facing down on to new garage roofs that the council gave recently replaced. These are just shiny silver, galvanised steel or whatever. Giving a lovely large platform for the light to reflect off of.

Doesn't anybody think?!

I've just looked out of the back bedroom at the offending light which is facing down. However it's facing down on to new garage roofs that the council gave recently replaced. These are just shiny silver, galvanised steel or whatever. Giving a lovely large platform for the light to reflect off of.

The reflected light won't be helping and is probably increasing the ambient light and affecting them. Not sure what you can do about it if it's not your light and you don't think your council will listen. Personally I think outside lights should be off very late/early during the night.

Must be to do with the increased lights. I’m awake at 3 am and not a tweet here, not even from the birds nesting under my eaves. No street lights here, well there’s one at the far end of the road ( just the one!) Think the council forgot to install them.

I hear chirping all night, we also have led lights

I will get in touch with the council - nothing ventured...!

Maybe they can adjust the angle on the light or get the garage roofs painted. It's definitely only started since they have been replaced. The light has been there longer but I've never heard this all night chirping.

I shall let you know how I get on. Woman on a mission 😂

It's really bad this is happening. Even if the council won't listen immediately people should still complain about it to them so they know there's a problem and if enough people do it maybe they will listen. Maybe one of the bigger wildlife groups would be worth emailing. It sounds like a cause that needs to to be taken up by someone.

I shall let you know how I get on. Woman on a mission

Please do!

Do you have a wildlife trust in your area that you could talk to/get on board as well?

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-trusts

Definitely the streetlights. It was very noticeable when I lived in London and some birds would be at it all the time, particularly in spring. Poor sods, they must be knackered.

When I moved to Australia I noticed that side roads only have lights on one side so much darker at night than in the UK. It used to scare the bejesus out of me driving there at first. I'm sure it's for economy, not the wildlife, but it's no doubt beneficial.

I know, whilst very pleasant to listen to it just seems such a shame.

I've found a local wildlife trust thank you @Mothership4two . I shall contact them later today or Monday.

Birdsong in the night is nothing new. I remember hearing it the night 40 odd years ago long before those white lights were a thing