Dawn Chorus Event

25 April 2009

9 adults and teenagers got up with the lark to enjoy the woodland's dawn chorus from 5 - 6.30am on a fine Saturday morning. John Woolliams identified 16 species of bird for us, repeating their cries. A skylark opened the performance, then a bat swooped over the glade as we were surrounded by the music of many blackbirds. Experts have made several different suggestions as to why birds chose to start the day with a song: because it is calm and still; because sound travels well in cool air; because they can't feed yet and because it's important to let other birds know that they've survived the night and that their territory is still occupied.

Halfway through we were thrilled to see and hear a blackcap as it slowly circled us, singing from 4 different points to mark its territory. When it was fully light we spotted our newly planted bluebells, now in flower, and admired the crabapple blossom and cowslips. A greenfinch finished off the main chorus at 5.50am, but the sleepy collared dove only started to call as we were finishing coffee and brioche at 6.30am. Some of us were lucky enough to hear a cuckoo, on our way out through the gate.

4.50am Skylark
4.55am Blackbird
5.00am Pheasant
5.10am Yellowhammer
5.10am Robin
5.15am Chiffchaff
5.15am Wren
5.20am Woodpigeon
5.25am Great tit
5.25am Bluetit
5.25am Chaffinch
5.25am Blackcap
5.30am Rook
5.30am Songthrush
5.50am Greenfinch
6.30am Collared dove
6.45am Cuckoo

Dawn chorus events in 2010 and 2008

2009 news index