Greatest show on earth is on our doorsteps

Whom I ask for no gift, whom I thank for all things, this is the morning.

Night is gone, a dawn comes up in birds and sounds of the city.

– Michael Hartnett 

As soon as January signals the arrival of longer days and as soon as the temperature begins to rise, you will hear a lone bird, usually a robin, announce the coming of a new day, a new season.

We are fortunate in the Ox Mountains to live at close quarters with the changes in nature. Blessed, as we who have dark skies and quiet countryside and where something as simple as a bird’s song can stand out. These simple spring songs tell an ancient story, and in their own little way, give us hope for the year ahead.

Orchestral manoeuvres 

Over the course of the coming days and weeks, what is known as the Dawn Chorus will increase in intensity. In the same way as the rehearsal room of a dimly lit theatre might gradually fill with orchestral members, arriving for their daily practice, so too will our mornings fill with great musicians. Each member of the Dawn Chorus Orchestra will arrive at a slightly different time, take his or her place and begin tuning up. Like all great pieces of theatre, the eventual performance takes time to perfect.

From the beginning, however, there is a giftedness about all the participants. Some sing low and some sing higher, as the old song tells us, but not even the repeated poundings of the newly arrived woodpecker or the screams of a jay - Scréachóg Choill (Screecher of the Woods) - can throw the Ox Mountain Orchestra out of tune.

Eventually, after about six weeks of preparation, the show is ready to go on. In a period that usually coincides with Lent, the phenomena will build to its almighty best. The chorus is performed daily, triggered by the first light of dawn. Undeterred by the weather, birds of all shapes and sizes fill their lungs and pour out their songs. Strangely, in our busy lives, what is probably one of the greatest manifestations of creation, often goes unnoticed.

The science of birdsong 

According to the Woodland Trust in the United Kingdom, the dawn chorus is all about defending territory and raising chicks.

The singing you can hear in the morning is typically carried out by male birds. Making so much noise uses up a lot of energy, especially on an empty stomach and after a chilly night, so only the strongest, best-fed males will produce the loudest songs. In doing so they demonstrate to females that they are fit, healthy and hold a territory with plenty of food. A loud song also serves as a deterrent for any rival males who may be looking to move in.

Early mornings are too dark to search for food, and also too dark to be spotted by predators. That makes it the perfect time to sing as there is less background noise and because the air is so still, sound carries around 20 times further than it would later in the day. 

Irishgardenbirds.ie informs us further, detailing the sequence of the chorus.

The chorus usually begins with the lazy and gentle trickling song of a robin or two, delivered without hurry, perhaps from the cover of a prominent shrub or tree. Next up, it’s usually the blackbird: its song has a lovely fluty tone, richer than a robin’s and more lively. 

Once the song thrushes have started up, there’s no chance of falling back to sleep with the intense, rich and urgent-sounding song, one in which staccato phrases of the song are repeated twice or three times in quick succession, just to reinforce the effect. You may well have blackcaps singing: a warbler and summer visitor from Africa that delivers its rich and hurried notes from cover, usually unseen. 

New singers from the same species join in along with others, the echo of singing blackbirds and robins, map out audibly traced territories: the chorus is building!

A BBC Radio 4 blog highlighting reasons why people should get up early to enjoy the dawn chorus carries information on how songbirds learn their craft.

Different birds sing at different times, with some, like the song thrush, starting even before the sunrise. Robins, blackbirds, wrens and chaffinches are among early risers, with other birds adding their voices later in the morning. So, once you’re up and listening, stick around to hear the new voices joining the chorus.

Songbirds can be divided into oscines and suboscines. Oscines, regarded as the true songbirds, learn their songs from their father or a neighbour. However, researchers have raised songbirds in acoustic isolation but still found them able to reproduce the precise song of their species despite never having heard it.

Tree Top Tips 

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds provides a guide for the best time of year to enjoy the dawn chorus. In short, they suggest any time mid-March to early May.

By mid-March, lots of our resident birds are in full song and in mid-April, the riot of sound is in full effect as millions of migrant birds pour back in from Africa to their summer homes. In early May, the chorus is at its peak. The dawn chorus can be heard in some form or another almost everywhere - from gardens, parks, hedges and woods to marshes and even mountain tops. If you want, just open your bedroom window, lie back and enjoy the songsters near you. But for the full effect, a wooded area or park with mature trees are great bets.

In the Ox Mountains, the dawn chorus is at its peak just before and just after sunrise, around 5am. An hour later, it has already peaked so for best listening results, note the following points. Check the weather as still, dry mornings are the best to hear the chorus in all its glory. If it is your first dawn chorus experience, just sit back and let the symphony of sound wash over you. If you’re not an early riser, many species also sing in the evening, as dusk falls. It’s not quite as spectacular as the morning chorus, but still well worth a listen. A downloadable phone app, Merlin, is the ideal companion to take with you as it will identify the various species by picking up on their song. The app is also great for identifying our various birds at any location at any time of day.

A major new study, carried out by the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, has revealed that dawn choruses across Europe are now becoming quieter and less varied because of climate change – fewer numbers and fewer species. Researchers said the intensity of bird song has reduced over the last 25 years as warming temperatures have shifted the distribution of species.

Despite all this, there is still a considerable chorus to be heard in our region. This spring, book a ticket for the greatest show on earth. Promise yourself you will get up very early at least one morning this spring, make your way into nature and enjoy the songs of creation… for the times they are a-changing.