Get up with the larks
Wednesday 28th April 2010
For Bill Oddie, it’s the sound of the grasshopper warbler. But whatever your favourite bird song might be, nothing beats the stunning combination that makes the dawn chorus, a chiming celebration of spring that rings through the skies each day as the season begins.
To make the most of this natural phenomenon, The Wildlife Trusts celebrate International Dawn Chorus Day (IDCD) on the first Sunday in May each year – Sunday 2 May in 2010. Across the UK, local Wildlife Trusts will be running early events from birdsong breakfasts to dawn chorus walks on nature reserves in town and country.
Joining your local Wildlife Trust for an IDCD event can give you the best chance of hearing some of the more specialist species, such as Bill Oddie’s favourite. Bill, The Wildlife Trusts’ vice president, said: “The song of the grasshopper warbler, which can last throughout the night, is high pitched and sounds a bit like a fishing rod being reeled in! Listen out for it on the edges damp, grassy fields or reedbeds.”
Stephanie Hilborne OBE, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said: “Wherever you are, the cacophony of bird song that welcomes in a new day is guaranteed to lift your spirits, and remind you how wondrous nature really is. It becomes even more intriguing when you consider the reasons behind the chorus – territories claimed, partners fought for, masculinity displayed. A true drama playing out before our ears.
“Why not join your local Wildlife Trust for a dawn chorus event? You can make sense of what you are hearing as experts will be on hand to help you identify which call belongs to which bird, and why they are calling. And it also simply offers the chance to share a wonderful experience.
“But if you can’t join us, just throw open your bedroom window in the early hours and absorb the atmosphere of the natural world!”
You can find details of your local Wildlife Trust’s IDCD events on The Wildlife Trusts’ website:
www.wildlifetrusts.org/index.php?section=events:spring:dawnchorusday.
Or, check out the official IDCD website for a comprehensive list of all events taking place at www.idcd.info.
Vine House Farm, which works in partnership with The Wildlife Trusts, is supporting IDCD in 2010 by offering a free suet block and feeder worth £5 to all those attending events registered on idcd.info when they place their first order for Vine House Farm bird food.
The BBC Breathing Places website offers dawn chorus resources to download, including a guided audio tour of the dawn chorus, and a dawn chorus pocket guide. Click here www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/downloads/ to visit the website.
Story by RSWT