Dawn over Moor Green 4.45 am on the 22nd April 2017

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4.45 am looking east over Cannon Hill Park
A cool morning but not unpleasantly so, and dry. At precisely 5.00 am a north westerly breeze blows by adding some discomfort.
 5 of us wait at the gates, expecting more and thinking most have overslept - often the case with dawn chorus promises.

 30 more eargerly awaiting souls are inside the gates - we meet up and early morning greetings are made.

 'The Dawn' is a somewhat primitive time of day- and what a strange moment and place to meet, yet, although we mostly know each other, we are briefly strangers in the twilight - 
Sunrise by Sahira
 Dawn has no precise time, we figured, and is dependent on weather conditions; if the sky is full of dark clouds the daybreak may be thwarted for a while. 

 By 5.15 am the day began to break, leading me to think that perhaps dawn is from the moment the light changes until Sunrise, which is predictable and today it was precisely 5.54 am
photo by Sahira
"We are here today to listen and then look"

The chattering continues and I don't wish to spoil their moment.

6.00 am at Centenary Woods (Carley Perry)









The Mistle Thrush is the first song on my list as I walk along the riverside, and a badger hovers across the path in quick succession. The legless form of the low lying badger is unmistakable, even in low light.

 Eyes soon become accustomed to the dark and ears to the quiet.

 The dawn chorus is mostly free from background city noise, but I realise that Sunday choruses are best with even less distant traffic. Saturday, perhaps more people are at work. A Sunday before a bank holiday is the prime time - therefore the International Dawn Chorus is held on the first Sunday in May. Indeed the 7th this year.

 Check out the International Dawn Chorus Day web page with the following link -
http://idcd.info

WELCOME  IDCD

International Dawn Chorus Day is the worldwide celebration of nature's daily miracle. 
The next International Dawn Chorus Day is 7th May 2017. 


Evening choruses likewise are polluted with the drone of distant traffic.

Today, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs compete well with Wrens, Robins, Blackbirds and Thrushes.

 7.00 am - time for breakfast in the pavilion. A good start to the day.

 Thanks to Sahira Noor and Carley Perry for the photos.

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