4 o’clock on Sunday the 5th of May. It’s still dark, surprisingly cold, and very quiet.
Five members met our leader, Adrian, for the Club’s annual dawn chorus walk, this year at Tar Lakes near Witney. As we waited in the car park, we could hear tawny owls calling and the first stirrings of other bird life. It was a perfect morning, clear and still, so we didn’t have to wait long for the noise level to rise. By the time we reached the first lake, robin, song thrush and blackbird were singing well, with a very loud and persistent cetti’s warbler and a cuckoo. Warblers including blackcap, sedge warbler and garden warbler soon joined in, and we were also very pleased to hear a female cuckoo, which sounds completely different from the familiar call of the male.
By this stage, the sun was not quite up, and the pink sky reflected in the calm water of the lake, with a little mist rising, made a very pretty picture. A short recording of the birdsong recorded here can be heard below.
We completed our circuit with a visit to the hide at Rushy Common and the viewing screen, from where we got good views of a hunting barn owl, a very nice way to end our walk.
Many thanks to Adrian for leading us.
Sue Morton 18 May 2024
The full list of 47 species list can be found here.
WEST OXFORDSHIRE FIELD CLUB 