Dawn chorus
We are in the midst of hot and humid weather here in central Illinois. July and August are always for heat lovers – and that is definitely not me. Give me long underwear, a heavy coat and hat, and I am in heaven! I love working outside and have gardens all around our house and driveway. My favorite time to garden is afternoon. I come back inside about 4 and curl up with a good book till supper. Sometimes napping and sometimes not. But afternoon gardening is definitely out this time of year.
I have been getting up before dawn these past few days and working outside until about 8. And even that early, I am overheated and dripping wet when I am finished. But the upside to this is I get to hear the dawn chorus.
Cleon’s cousin Rick Radis, who lives in New Jersey, is the best birder I know. He is now retired, but free lanced all his life for our federal and his state government, and worked for groups like National Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy. He is the one who first told me about the dawn chorus.
Rick and Cleon have their roots in southern West Virginia – Cleon was born and spent his young years in the mountains. When their Aunt Isadora was alive, Rick would visit her regularly and in spring and summer, he would sleep with the window open, and every morning he would lay in bed and listen to the birds singing at dawn – the dawn chorus. Rick was always able to bird by ear – identify birds by their songs and calls – so he would wake before the sun was up and just lay there listening as the birds started singing. It would often start with just a single bird like the Northern Cardinal or an Indigo Bunting, but one by one other birds would join until they were all singing and calling.
This chorus usually begins as the morning starts to lighten – about an hour before the sun breaks the horizon – and continues for about an hour. After sunrise, birds will sing periodically throughout the day, but in that hour before sunrise is when they all sing. And I cannot tell you how lovely this is – how peaceful. Here in central Illinois – and also in West Virginia – the full dawn chorus occurs from about mid-April through July. It peaks in May and June.
These past several mornings, I was out working when the dawn chorus started. And I was amazed at the birds I heard. I had my phone in my pocket so turned on Merlin several times which helped verify a few of which I was unsure. (If you do not know about the app Merlin I highly recommend it. Go to this website’s menu, click on Articles and read The Merlin App and Its Sound ID.)
Here is my bird list from this morning – and thank goodness the grackles and Blue Jays slept in because all this lovely singing happened before they woke up and started screeching. The dawn chorus was also before the crop dusters, parachutists, chain saws, target practice, cars leaving for work, and barking dogs. In other words, before the rest of the world woke up. This is the time of day the monks, the mystics, the spiritual all say is the best time to connect with a higher power. To connect with nature. And I agree.
Here is what I heard this morning – and in the order I heard them. Merlin verified:
Northern Cardinal
Chimney Swift
Downy Woodpecker
Carolina Wren
Eastern Kingbird
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Woodpecker
Chipping Sparrow
House Finch
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Mourning Dove
It was just a perfect morning! Consider getting out of bed an hour before sunrise, get yourself whatever it is you drink to start your day, and sit outside on your balcony, on your porch, or on your deck, and just listen. Or do as Rick always did – open your window and tuck yourself back into bed, relax, and enjoy.