Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust: May’s musical, magical, wildlife spectacle
While the weather doesn’t quite seem to know what season it is, a look around quickly confirms that it is definitely spring, writes Erin McDaid of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.
Flowers such as roses are primed to burst, lush green leaves are on our trees, and birds busying themselves for the vital breeding season. Long-travelled species such as swifts and songbirds such as willow and reed warblers have now joined our resident species in the race to bag territory and the perfect mate.
In their bid for success on both counts, songbirds set out to impress by taking up a prominent perch and running through their repertoire of calls.
As the month progresses, we can hope to enjoy meadows in flower and colourful butterflies on the wing — but for me, the real star of May is the Dawn Chorus.
With the myriad of migratory species now ensconced alongside resident early nesters, the breeding season builds to a crescendo. While the bustling nesting activity is a delight to behold, it is the bird song that really sets this wild spectacle apart.
Listening to a blackbird or thrush sing solo can be uplifting, but hearing the soundscape build as different species join the chorus is a wonderful experience, and well worth an early start.
While bird song can be enjoyed throughout much of the day in spring, early morning offers by far the best opportunity to hear a wide range of species at their most mellifluous — a magical experience for anyone determined enough to brave the early alarm.
The Dawn Chorus is pretty democratic and can be enjoyed in a small suburban garden, or for those who struggle to crawl out of bed before the sun is up, from the warmth of your bed via an open window.
However, as much as watching a film can be better on a large cinema screen with surround sounds, your experience of the Dawn Chorus will be taken to the next level is you visit a local woodland or wetland nature reserve or a park with varied habitat.
The extra effort taken to get out before sunrise will be rewarded with one of the most uplifting natural experiences on offer. As well as catching the widest range of species, you’ll also benefit from better acoustics as bird song is said to travel up to 20 times further through still morning air. I like to get settled as early as possible with a flask of coffee to hand so I don’t miss the ‘early birds’.
The first big hitters of the day include robins, thrushes, and blackbirds. Their opening riffs will be joined by warblers such as chiff chaff, willow warbler, and blackcap as the chorus continues to build into a wall of warm, wild, sound. As the volume and variety of calls begins to subside you can head off to enjoy an early breakfast feeling smugly satisfied.
I struggle to separate out many of the individual species that are singing, it is still very enjoyable; but listening to the Dawn Chorus alongside an expert who can point out the different species takes the experience to another level, so do look out for Dawn Chorus events in your area over the next couple of weeks while it is at its peak.
You can experience the Dawn Chorus with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust at the Idle Valley Nature Reserve in Retford on Sunday May 11 from 5am. Enjoy the serene beauty of nature's morning symphony followed by a breakfast roll and a warm drink. (Booking essential)
There will also be an Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) Workshop on Wednesday May 14 from 10am to 4pm, also at Idle Valley, which is a joint event between Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and Nottinghamshire Biodiversity Action Group.
River Ramble Farndon: Exploring Nature & Community Wellbeing Together. Friday May 16 from 10.45am to 3pm at Farndon Willow Holt & Water Meadows in Farndon Village.
Join our mindful River Ramble at Farndon Nature Reserve to connect with nature, boost wellbeing, and explore community-led ideas - support by the Species Survival Fund.
Attenborough Nature Reserve Optics Fair will run from Saturday May 17 to Sunday May 18 from 10am to 4pm. Explore top optics brands with the opportunity to try out a wide range of binoculars and ‘scopes in field conditions, expert advice and event discounts.
Details of all events can be found at nottinghamshirewildlife.org/events/
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust will also be at the Nottinghamshire County Show on Saturday, so do come and find us in the Countryside Area if your heading over. Looks set to be a great day.
