Whitethroat © Ken Dolbear, MBE
This May, Dorset Wildlife Trust’s (DWT) Kingcombe Centre is celebrating the sounds of spring by inviting people to come and experience the unique and special songs of the dawn chorus on DWT’s Kingcombe Meadows Nature Reserve in west Dorset.
From 1–3 May, the Kingcombe Centre will be holding a specially designed workshop for anyone keen to improve their skills in bird identification, and is suitable for those with a keen interest or someone who works in the profession. Ornithology expert Edward Jackson will lead the ’Identify Bird Song and Calls’ around the Kingcombe Centre, and also further field in Dorset. Learning will be through presentations, using smartphone technology and practical field work with identification DVDs and sonograms.
On Friday 15 May, Su Gough from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) will be leading a ‘Dawn Chorus Breakfast’ early morning guided walk, teaching the group how to recognise various bird songs by explaining how to differentiate one call to the next. This will be followed by a hearty breakfast at the Kingcombe Centre.
The International Dawn Chorus Day, which has been established since 1984, falls on Sunday 3 May, when all the summer migrant birds have arrived and are setting up nests. Birds use song for a variety of reasons, including establishing their territory and to attract a mate. Birds are very active early in the morning before they go searching for food later in the day so this is the best time to hear their magnificent song.
To make a booking please visit www.kingcombe.org or call 01300 320684. Booking is essential as places are limited.
