Dawn Chorus Walk sets the standard

Last Saturday (2nd May) Fordhall Farm hosted a Dawn Chorus Walk as part of International Dawn Chorus Day run by the Wildlife Trusts. The walk was guided by local bird twitcher and volunteer Paul Rutter and was very well attended.

I have to say that getting up at 5am to hear the birds sing was not my idea of a relaxing Saturday morning! But, it was actually a wonderful event. Paul did a fantastic job of identifying the individual calls out of a mass of bird chorus - something which amazed me every time...

We walked around the diverse woodlands at Fordhall, the spring fed pools, and the wetlands (the photo shows one of the many rookeries we have on the farm). There was no escape! A full list of the birds spotted will appear in the newsletter, I can't remember them all here.

The success of the event (always held in May as this is when the birds sing their little hearts out in a bid to find a mate and define boundaries) has led to discussions for larger events in 2010. We would like to do a family walk with camping the night before, and a open public walk with a Fordhall cooked breakfast at the end. So, if you missed the walk in 2009, there will be another chance next year!

Of course, if you are keen, you can always pop down to Fordhall yourself one early morning this month. But, please book this in before you arrive.

Charlotte