Dawn Chorus at Holbrook Creek, Sunday 5th May 2024

This recording was made between 5:05 and 5:25am on Sunday 5th May 2024 down at Holbrook Creek as part of the Reveil 11 ‘24 hour global broadcast’ of the dawn chorus (the official sunrise time at the creek was 5:16 am). It was really misty when I set up my gear on a fallen tree on the northern shore of the river Stour. The mist gradually lifted and the birdsong began from the mudflats in front and the woodlands behind. The creek was once a working environment with a brickworks and a couple of jetties that transported agricultural goods from Suffolk to London and received London’s refuse in return. The rubbish included horse muck which was spread on the land, but also included broken pottery which today can still be found on the surface of the fields. The brickworks and transportation links are long gone, but this tidal river is a haven for birds and enjoyed by visitors from the local villages. In total, I recorded for over an hour at the location and the Merlin app identified the following birds (not all will feature in this recording): Blackbird, Robin, Greater Whitethroat, Blue Tit, Wood-Pigeon, Dunnock, Carrion Crow, Ring-necked Pheasant, Wren, Great Tit, Blackcap, Common Cuckoo, Black-headed Gull, Marsh Warbler, Rook, Skylark, Goldfinch, Chiffchaff, Graylag Goose and Oystercatcher. This episode was made possible through funding from Arts Council England through their Developing Your Creative Practice grant.