Sunday 3rd May - Dawn Chorus Day

As some of you may already know, International Dawn Chorus Day is coming up soon, every year taking place on the first Sunday of May - this year that's the 3rd. Normally, this day and the week either side is the time when local nature reserves organise early morning walks; waking up and getting out early to experience the incredible sound of nature waking up, with the summer migrants back and in full song and the chance of a winter lingerer or something rare turning up too.

The last 2 years, I've got up at 4:30am and headed out to my local patch for an organised walk. These have been unforgettable experiences, hearing my first (and only) Nightingale and seeing things like Common Sandpiper and Cuckoo for the first time too. It's truly incredible to stand there in the darkness, the human world not yet polluting the air with noise, as hundreds of birds serenade you with song from every side!

Obviously that's not going to happen this year. There'll be no organised events with groups getting together to share in the magic of the Dawn Chorus. But I'm going to get up at 5am anyway, and I'm trying to get as many people as possible to join me. Set up the deckchair in the garden, and relax as you absorb the sounds of nature. Coronavirus may have ruined the social aspect of these walks, but it can't take away the magic!

Please share this far and wide; you're more than welcome to copy and share this but otherwise write up your own experiences, tell all your friends! Lets see how many people we can get outside in the garden at 5am on the 3rd May, discovering a beautiful side of the natural world not usually witnessed.

The International Dawn Chorus Day is usually shared using #IDCD but this year I'll be using #MyGardenIDCD, please use this to spread the word and share your experience on the day. We may not be able to visit the same places as last year, or see the same people as last year, but we won't let Covid-19 bring us down!