Monday 27 April 2020

1st Sunday in May is International Dawn Chorus Day

Brownhill House Garden - The Beehive - you want to grow alpines, make a mountain out of broken slabs

Dear Blogger

Coronarvirus Update from Shropshire Council

Coronavirus Blog 4: Dawn Chorus

Related topics: Community / Coronavirus / Health / Leisure, culture and heritage

Our native birds are reaching a peak in their breeding behaviour. Male birds attract a female and advertise territory through song.

The first Sunday in May is dedicated as International Dawn Chorus Day.

For a truly uplifting experience, I would highly recommend setting an alarm clock and taking a seat in your garden just before it begins getting light. If getting out of bed early is not for you or you do not have access to a garden, simply open the bedroom window and let the bird song from the streets wash over you.

Often it is the robin that can be heard first. This species can even be heard singing in the dark, triggered by the presence of artificial lighting. Sometimes people mistakenly think they can hear the song of a nightingale. Both species have a wonderful warbling song with dips and trills that speak of all the promise of Spring. However, the nightingale is now a rare species in the UK; the robin is a common and endearing early-morning sound in your neighbourhood.

An image of a robin, one of the focuses of this coronavirus blog.

Written by Edward Andrews from Shropshire Council's outdoor partnerships team.  The team manages and preserves country parks and countryside sites across Shropshire for people to enjoy and wildlife to flourish.

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