National Dawn Chorus Day

The RSPB are inviting everyone to get up early and go outside on National Dawn Chorus Day. This is the season to listen to the incredibly rich sound of a spring dawn as our resident and newly arrived migrant birds compete for attention. Whether to attract a mate or to fend off a neighbour taking a bite from its territory, their song is key to a successful breeding season.

International Dawn Chorus Day 2022 | Join the Chorus - The RSPB

Surely this is something we should all try at some point in the next few weeks, even if an early start on a Sunday is not your cup of tea. You could just pause for a moment on your way to work or school, open a window or go into your garden and just listen.

On 1st May dawn is at 5:30 am and some birds, like robins, will start singing in the half hour before dawn. Luckily the dawn chorus doesn’t all start at dawn. Different birds join in at different times and there will be some birds singing until mid-morning, sometimes later. The magic is in the sheer volume and variety of birdsong to be heard early in the day, say before about 10 am (earlier is better!).

If you decide to take the RSPB’s advice and make an early morning visit to Croft Close Set Aside or Long Meadow on National Dawn Chorus Day – or any of our other green spaces in the villages - remember to take it slowly. Stand a while in one place, and make as little noise as you can: any birds disturbed by your arrival will soon get back to singing.

For some people it is enough to enjoy the chorus as a composite performance but others will want to know which birds are singing. If you follow the sound and look carefully you may be able to see a singer perched on top of a bush, but some singers are not such show-offs. The RSPB have put together a simple audio guide so that you can get to know the different bird songs Bird Songs | Find out about Bird Calls in the UK – The RSPB. This will help you work out which birds are singing.