Given that today was International Dawn Chorus Day, I thought I’d pay homage to the most revered of Spring songsters the nightingale.
There are no nesting sites for nightingale in East Yorkshire so it was a trip into Lincolnshire to an established breeding site right on the northern boundary of its range. Years ago there were numerous singing males and last year there were eventually 3 and this year there is only one.
I was up at half four to be greeted by our pre-dawn chorus of blackbirds and a distant song thrush and I was out of the door just after 5.
I arrived on site at about 6.15 and was surprised to see about 20 cars there already. No doubt quite a few people had the same idea.
On the way to the area where the nightingale had been frequenting there was an almost deafening sound of black-headed gulls, then some common migrants including wren, willow warbler, chiff-chaff, robin, blackcap and garden warbler, above all of this I could hear the solitary nightingale booming out his song.
At first the light was very poor and it was a special moment to just listen to the wonderful tunes.
Gradually the light lifted to allow some better photographs.
Not a stunning looking bird by any standards, however one of the highlights pf spring. Whilst it was a joy to behold, the visit was somewhat tinged with sadness knowing that the likelihood of a return to the once good numbers is pretty slim and in reality this bird will probably be one of the last at this site
