The Dawn Chorus

I got up this Sunday morning early enough to hear the start of the dawn chorus. The Song Thrush began, backed by the local Blackbirds, then Robins and Wrens. A Blue tit joins in with a simple trill, and a Woodpigeon adds his two penny worth too. Their voices merge into a wall of beautiful sound. The effect from my elevated position was that of a crescendo of bird song drifting up to the sky.

Down on the fen, the Cuckoo was in full voice, in the still, cool morning air his song echoed across the reserve. A flurry of silvery notes come from one of my favourite songsters, the Blackcap, and a scratchy buzz followed by a fluty warble gives away a Sedge Warbler’s position in the reeds.

Sedgewarbler040514DM9219

 Whilst there, I also managed to film a Cuckoo singing, take a look here: Cuckoo Singing

 

(Click images to view larger…)

If you like what you see, please consider sharing![social_share/]
UK & Eire Natural History Bloggers

 

Current favourite books, click for more info:




 

Similar Posts

  • Small Copper

    Went out this weekend to a patch of heathland try and photograph these little beauties. The overcast weather seemed to make them not very obliging and it was difficult to get very close, so I opted for some ‘in habitat’ style shots, which I quite like. Not bad for a first go with these tiny…

  • Grey Seals

    Went to the Norfolk coast to try and photograph the seals this afternoon, seen as the weather person said it would brighten up. Unfortunately it didn’t and it was grey skies all the way. Still, I managed to get a shot of this little beauty, and as always it was amazing to watch and hear…

  • Peek-a-boo

    Over the Fen this morning, couldn’t resist photographing this little rabbit as he peeked out of his burrow at me. Sunshine and showers kept the Sedge and Reed warblers hiding low in the vegetation, but the Cuckoo was still singing away. Five Roe deer were very camera shy, only the rabbits would let me photograph…

  • Spot the bird

    Wildlife photographers have a habit of showing only their very best work, which is of course understandable. It does leave aspiring wildlife photographers a little disillusioned or disappointed with their own efforts, because it’s a fact that for every amazing photo taken, there’s ten, twenty, or a hundred (or more!) ‘misses’. After all, we’re dealing…

  • Exhibition

    I’m really pleased to announce a small selection of my photos will be on display at the wonderful Beehive Coffee Shop in Blo Norton, Norfolk. It’s a great place to relax with a coffee and slice of delicious home-made cake, so head on over during June to take a look! (Click images to view larger…)…

  • Japan – Part 2

    The next wildlife stop on our tour of Japan was Nara, which is near Osaka, nearly 300 miles south east of Tokyo. Nara is famous for it’s very special sacred deer. They are Sika deer (Cervus nippon), and they roam freely in the town of Nara, and it’s wonderful park. As we walked up the…

2 Comments

  1. Lovely. I am very fortunate that in being a bad sleeper I hear the dawn chorus every morning. It starts here at about 4.30am (because of the street light I think) and although it is beautiful it is not as exciting as yours. We had a smashing afternoon today at RSPB Lakenheath. They have a new viewpoint and they have been considerate in putting a disabled parking space quite near it so there is only about 30m to walk. We saw 4 Hobbys (together), a nesting pair of Marsh Harriers, Whitethroat (my first), Bitterns Booming & Cuckoos Cuckooing. See you tomorrow. Hope you’re feeling better?

  2. Lovely description of the Dawn Chorus. I have never actually seen a cuckoo before although we are hearing one quite frequently. In April, come he will, in May sing all day, in June changes tune and in July prepares to fly, then in August go he must!

Leave a Reply