May 6th Strumpshaw Fen

Dawn Chorus Day at Strumpshaw Fen 2018

Today is once again International Dawn Chorus Day and as we had a very memorable one at Strumpshaw in 2016, Dad and I have decided to experience it again this year. Arriving at the reserve just after 4am, everything felt rather similar to that day two years ago. It was still dark and half a moon was shining brightly, while a layer of fog formed over the reserve. Deja vu?



Moonlight and fog

Foggy scenes

However, there were subtle differences between this year's dawn chorus and the one from 2 years ago. While the cuckoos were calling throughout our visit just as they were doing back in 2016, the bitterns on the other hand didn't really start booming until about 5am. Before then, they were only producing the odd faint 'bump' sound, like a bittern with a case of the hiccups. Supporting these two stars of the chorus were robins, blackbirds, hooting tawny owls, wrens, blackcaps, sedge, reed, willow and Cetti's warblers.

Fog over the River Yare

Wren

As the dark of night faded by the early rays of daylight, the chorus grew with calling greylags making a noise as they streamed over the gloom of the mist, while loud barks of Chinese water deer penetrated through the reed beds to my eardrums. There was also a solitary cry from a water rail, a snort from a mute swan, high-pitched peeping from kingfishers along the river and the first whitethroats have announced their arrival with their scratchy warbled songs.

Chinese Water Deer

Two Chinese Water Deer amongst the foggy meadow trail

Pheasant

Highland Cow

Sunrise

Between 5:30 and 6am, we watched the sun rise over the meadows as it climbed up behind the treeline. However, the sight was suddenly distorted by the fog that, from nowhere, grew in density and covered the sunlight. The moon, on the other hand, reflected over the surface of the river and was more enchanting to look, providing the foggy landscape with a sense of mystery and magic.

Spider web

The Pump House

As we neared the pump house from along the dewy wet grass of the riverside trail, a ghostly shape of a hunting barn owl loomed out from the gloom, stopping us in our tracks to admire it's beauty. It danced around the building for a bit before flying across the path leading to the woodland trail. Heading the same way, we ended up following it in the woods. We kept seeing it fly by with it's pale white wings glowing through the grey murk as if leading us through the bluebells bathed in the warm early rays of sunshine that was beginning to make a foothold through the fog. Every now and then it would perch from a tree, watching us with it's big, round eyes as if to make sure we were still following it. Mistle thrushes were not pleased in seeing the owl and were producing rattling alarm calls as they began to mob it. Eventually, we lost sight of the owl as it vanished back into the mystery of the fog from which it came from.

Bluebells

Jackdaw

The sun was now in full control of the fog and a brand new day. The chorus was nearing a conclusion, but it was still time for a few new voices to add to it. Bullfinches, chiffchaffs, goldcrests, treecreepers, blue and great tits, stock doves, collard doves and the drumming of great spotted woodpeckers made sure that I wasn't to leave without hearing them first. And so, 2018's Dawn Chorus Day ended, starting the day with another memorable experience to remember. Though the fog dominated the sun this time round, it was that owl encounter that really made the event magical.

Canada Goose