This is an online definition of the dawn chorus.
The dawn chorus occurs when birds sing at the start of a new day. In temperate countries this is most noticeable in spring when the birds are either defending a breeding territory, trying to attract a mate, or calling in the flock. In a given location, it is common for different species to do their dawn singing at different times
The reality for me in Beetley is that for the last ten days or so, the birds in the garden have started this while it is still dark. The noise increases in intensity as different birds join in, then comes the cooing of the pigeons, and the squawking of the crows to cap it off.
It goes on for at least an hour until they calm down, by which time I am wide awake, far too early for my liking. On a good day, I might be able to get back to sleep for a couple of hours, but most days I am left awake, knowing it is too early to get up.
No point complaining. It is a delightful thing to have, especially as it is the only sound, and not accompanied by sirens, traffic, trains, or helicopters.
I just wish those birds would have a lie-in occasionally.
Like you, I’ll take the sounds of birds to the sounds of the city anytime.
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Yes, even though they woke me up at 5:20 this morning. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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🙂
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Yeah, isnt this funny, and you will not miss the alarm clock. 😉 Whats about Ollie? Not interested in chasing the flying singers? :-)) Best wishes, Michael
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Ollie doesn’t chase birds in the garden. Only the big pheasants on our dog-walks. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Oh, only the pheasants. Lol I am wundering about his courage. I think that they can be defensive. Best wishes, Michael
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We have a very melodic dawn chorus except for the pigeons and magpies who can’t actually sing; they just emit annoying noises.
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‘My’ pigeons do a lot of cooing! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, I have the greatest collection of songbirds around my house…not too noisy, just perfect for an idyllic wakeup call…now, the neighbor’s goose on the other hand…
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Yes, a goose is not something you want next door. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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It is a beautiful chorus indeed….but at times it is a bit irritating…..chuq
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Woke me up at 5:10 this morning. Couldn’t get back to sleep. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I am usually awake already….but hard to concentrate some days at all the chorus….LOL chuq
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One year, we had a mockingbird that “entertained’ us into the wee hours of the night. At one point, I found a long YouTube video that featured mockingbird utterances. I opened the window near the mockingbird’s tree, and mocked the mockingbird with its own mockery.
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There is a certain satisfaction in mocking a mockingbird, I can see that.
We don’t have them here, so I am unable to mock them. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Yes, the natural sounds vary by season, but are always welcome. Warmest regards, Theo
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I’m sure your remote location guarantees something similar, Theo.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I’ve never heard of this Pete, how delightful! I love the sounds of birds and if I have to wake up that’s how I would choose! Warmly, C
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I thought it was called that all over the world. Must just be in the UK.
Glad you like the name, Cheryl.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Sounds familiar. I hate the noise that rooks make. We have loads of them nesting in trees along the road outside our house.
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Even when I can sleep through the tweeting of the little birds, the big crows squawking naver fails to wake me up.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I’ve always enjoyed this but didn’t know it had a name, and what a lovely one it is.
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It must be an English thing, Kim. I have heard it called that for as long as I can remember. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Have you considered turning their clocks back a couple of hours Pete? You should just about be ready to get up when they go off then.
Hugs
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As I said in another reply, I think the lockdowns and working from home has made them more numerous, and much more active, David. Or perhaps I am putting out too much bird seed? 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I’m usually sleeping far too heavily to notice the dawn chorus unless the colony seagulls that live on my roof decide to participate.
I’m lucky to have two collared doves, a host of sparrows, a murmuration of starlings, and a single blackbird in my garden most days, and although they call throughout the day they all kick off together about six pm. There’s a wood pidgeon lurking somewhere but I’ve not seen it.
The combined noise is quite lovely especially if it doesn’t wake me up.
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I remember the racket from those seagulls waking me up early in your house, mate. At least it is very seasonal around here. 🙂
Cheers, Pete.
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Love the dawn chorus when I have to get up for work anyways, I sleep through it on days off though.
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It always wakes me up, but I don’t mind too much. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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You must admit it’s better than waking to a shrill alarm, even if they’re up too early 🙂
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Definitely, Beth. My alarm-clock days are long behind me, so the birds take over at the end of April. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Love the dawn chorus. What a nice wake up call. The last couple of days my internet was down so I was not listening to music and with the windows open I got to hear the afternoon chorus. It was so sweet. Just like a bunch of ladies having a good old natter!
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Yes, we get the ‘bedding down chorus’ here too. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I am fortunate, Pete, these sorts of noises never disturb my sleep. Everything disturbs Terence though.
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It’s mainly for a few weeks at this time of year, Robbie. It has been particularly loud lately, prehaps because of the reduced human activity.
Best wishes, Pete.
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i’ve never heard this name for it, and i love it
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Glad to introduce you to it, Beth. It is widely-used here.
Best wishes, Pete.
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My double glazing keeps out most of the bird sounds, which is a mixed blessing really, but even when I am awake at the appropriate time, I’m not aware of a high level of bird noise, so it doesn’t prevent me from going back to sleep, thankfully; or maybe there aren’t many birds near enough for me to hear them at that time. Cheers, Jon.
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We have good double glazing, but I always have a window open in the bedroom, all year round.
Best wishes, Pete.
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You must be a hardier man than I, or have good central heating [or both!], Pete: it needs to be a good few degrees warmer yet before I can leave a window open during the night.
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I don’t have the bedroom radiator on, even in the winter. The window I leave open is the smallest one, but I do like a cool bedroom and fresh air. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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In Hereford we have the lot, plus seagulls 😱
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I had enough of seagulls in London. Around Camden, there were hundreds of them. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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