Dawn Chorus Event

24 April 2010

A blackbird started the Woodland chorus at 4.55am on a fine Saturday morning, closely followed by dunnock and pheasant. A huge number of blackbirds almost drowned out a woodpigeon, as they sang from the hedge at the top of the glade. New calls came thick and fast, with a whitethroat chuntering (a bubbly, scratching noise), robin and a cockerel calling from a local garden. Rooks joined in from their nesting site in the churchyard.

At 5.10am, a noisy blue tit and great tit made it very difficult to distinguish any other call; five minutes later chiffchaff, wren, chaffinch, blackcap and jackdaw began to make themselves heard and the strange breathy sound of a French red legged partridge came from over the top hedge.

At 5.30am we moved closer to hear the quiet chuntering of a whitethroat, which gradually broke off to be replaced by song. Standing by fritillaries and cowslips, we could see the whitethoat flitting about amongst the blackthorn flowers, when an alarmed blackcap spotted us and started scolding. Further along by the coppice, a pair of blackcaps watched us from the top hedge.

Towards the end of the hour, bullfinch and greenfinch were heard and seen nearer the gate and a great tit was spotted inspecting a nest box in one of the mature ashes below the coppice. By then our feet were cold, although the sun was up ready for another glorious spring day. We warmed ourselves with coffee and brioche, to the call of a yellowhammer and as we were leaving, a woodpecker drummed to attract a mate.

4.55am blackbird
5.00am dunnock, pheasant
5.05am woodpigeon, whitethroat, robin, cockerel, rooks
5.10am bluetit, great tit
5.15am chiffchaff, red legged partridge, wren
5.20am chaffinch, blackcap
5.25am jackdaw
5.45am bullfinch
5.55am greenfinch
6.10am yellowhammer
6.30am woodpecker (drumming)

Dawn chorus events in 2009 and 2008

2010 news index