International Dawn Chorus Day at Wayland Wood

Please note the early start time of this event. It can be very chilly before sunrise (which will be around 5:15am on May 5th). Be sure to wrap up warm, as you will be sitting still and quiet for around an hour or so.

Join NWT Volunteer Susan in Wayland Wood car park for an early morning start. We will walk to a quiet spot to sit and listen first to the sounds of the night – deer, fox and owl can be expected. It won’t be too long to wait before the first birds begin to sing.

The full Dawn Chorus is a joy to listen to. First the individual songsters begin to sing – song thrush, blackbird and, if we’re very lucky, maybe even a nightingale. Soon they’re joined by many smaller hedgerow and woodland bird species. After around ten minutes the chorus reaches a crescendo of sound, where no individual birdsong can easily be distinguished. As suddenly as it began everything starts quietening down again as birds fly off to their daytime feeding sites. The whole chorus lasts between only twenty and thirty minutes.

What to bring

• A body or head torch if you have one as we will be walking to the site in the dark.
• A folding chair to sit on.
• A flask of something warm to drink and a pocketful of sweets or a bar of chocolate to help you stay warm throughout.
• A hot water bottle and a rug often helps with keeping warm.
• Sound recording equipment (eg a mobile phone) if you would like to record the experience.
• Sensible footwear – wellingtons or waterproof hiking boots recommended

This event will interest bird lovers, and anybody with a keen interest in nature.