Once again, Steve Hallam led a successful Dawn Chorus walk through Hillhouse Wood on 6th May. This year it was one of 19 bird walks taking place in Essex over the Coronation weekend.
Steve Hallam reports:
Well, it looks as if I must have done the odd good thing in a previous life. Despite the distinctly dodgy weekend weather forecast, we had a lovely morning for our 2023 Dawn Chorus walk. Not that we could see this of course, at 03.45, but at least we knew we’d be staying dry. A nice number of 14 people also turned out, despite the distraction of a certain Royal event later that morning. Also different this year was that we had folded the walk into the programme of The Big County Birdwatch, organised by the Essex Birdwatching Society. This had been moved to take place in Spring, rather than Autumn. It was pleasing to welcome EBWS people to the walk.
So, what was the first bird?
Regular readers may recall that I am always agog to find out what will be the first bird that we hear – and hoping that it doesn’t turn out to be a domestic cockerel again. This year the fates continued to be kind, such that part way down the track to the wood the lovely notes of a Nightingale drifted across the field to us.
Phase 1 underway
As usual we paused at the point where there is a sharp turn in the track, while I explained the phasing of the dawn chorus and we waited for the ‘action’ to start. While there, still in the dark, a distant Pheasant called and, more surprisingly, a Skylark called somewhere in the adjacent field. Before long, as the first lightening appeared in the sky, one or two Blackbirds and Robins roused themselves, still accompanied by the Nightingale. Soon, the Wrens and a Song thrush joined in – and ‘Phase 1’ was in full swing.
And then into the wood
This was our cue to enter the wood itself, to be greeted by a Nightingale in full song and, less harmonically, calls from a Carrion crow. Some of the group with more attuned hearing pointed out that a distant Cuckoo was also trying to make itself heard through it all. It was now time for our summer visitor warblers to make their presence known – the Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.
Building to a crescendo
The dawn chorus was now building to a crescendo. We moved slowly down the path towards the stream, stopping to appreciate a Nightingale that was singing strongly from just a few yards into the scrub. As usual, by the time we started to move along the stream the intensity of the singing was waning. In fact, having thought about it subsequently, my feeling is that this year the full ‘wall of sound’ experience wasn’t quite there, primarily because there were noticeably fewer Blackcaps singing. A one-off or a trend? We shall see.
Songsters Waning
As the songsters ease off, so the other woodland birds such as Great tits and Blue tits start to call out, along with the Wood pigeons and Jackdaws. Needless to say, someone invariably fails to ‘follow the script’: over the years we have quite often heard a Tawny owl calling from somewhere in the valley, and this is understandably early on, while it is still dark. Not this year, though. We heard nothing owl-like until sometime after the sun had risen, when some mournful hoots rang out. Perhaps he had overslept?
Bluebell Bonus
One bonus of this year’s walk was that, as the daylight filtered through the trees, there was still a good show of both Bluebells and Early Purple orchids to enjoy as we walked back through the wood (due to a combination of bringing the walk forward a week and the cold, late Spring we’ve had). Walking back along the track, I always hope to find a Whitethroat singing in a hedge. Once there would be several birds along the track, but the hedge is kept smaller now and the track is much used. For whatever reason, the Whitethroats are fewer and this year we did not hear one. However in compensation, we did hear a singing Yellowhammer and, nearby, a Chaffinch. A good way to finish the walk.
Until next year!
Steve Hallam