Dawn Chorus

The dawn chorus is best heard from late April through to June and starts before sunrise - so it is an early start. If you want to listen to the dawn chorus the best days to choose are those with fine, clear weather and little wind.

I recorded the dawn chorus in mid-April last year in Solihull. The same species of birds are around this year too. There were quite a few birds singing in April, but as you get into mid May/June then you'll hear an awful lot more.

A robin

First to start up was the Robin, this is always one of the keenest singers and in some places where street lamps provide light, robins will call all night!

Loudly announcing its presence from the very top branches then came the song thrush. Distinctive by its repeated phrases song thrushes are the smallest of our resident thrushes, smaller than the blackbird and the large mistle thrush.

Wonderful songs

The black bird came into song next, a lovely deep toned song. It interjected this with chaccking alarm calls, a sign of nerves in the morning gloom.

Early morning mist

The fourth singer was the diminutive wren, small in stature but large in voice and the explosion in song cuts through the still morning air. The wrens song always finishes with a trill and is mostly offered from the lowest bushes and even on the ground.

In the background other birds included great tit, chaffinch, tree creeper, blue tit, nuthatch, chiff chaff and dunnock.

Local recordings

We did our recording at a wood on the outskirts of Solihull, but you don't have to visit a woodland to hear the dawn chorus, you can just open your window and listen out - as long as you're up early enough.

Dawn Chorus events

If you want to find out more about what birds you're listening to, why not join a dawn chorus walk?