The dawn chorus of the birds is especially stunning when you hear it for yourself in Bentley Wood.
It’s a spring adventure that will light up your day if you decide to venture out early to hear it. You could consider making your own Bentley Wood dawn chorus recording, and try to identify all the bird songs and calls.
This YouTube video gives you a sense of what it’s like to be out in the early morning woods with the sun rising through the trees.
Chiff Chaff and Willow Warbler
Two warblers, Chiff Chaff and Willow Warbler, are unmistakeable harbingers of spring in Bentley Wood. This British Trust for Ornithology video on YouTube explains what to listen for and look for.
The population of Chiff Chaffs has risen in the UK since its decline in the 1960s.
The female Chiff Chaff makes a domed nest with a side entrance in brambles or among thick grass. Her eggs are laid in late April or early May, and she sits for 13–15 days. For the next 15 days or so the chicks are mostly fed by the female.
Chiff Chaffs leave Britain during September, and most head to the Mediterranean region for the winter, although some do stay here all year round.
The Willow Warbler has declined in the south of Britain, although the population in the north has remained relatively stable. It moves about in trees and bushes so it’s a bit difficult to see, but can be spotted singing its beautiful song from a prominent perch.
It usually nests on the ground in late April or May. The female makes her well-concealed domed nest on the ground, using leaves, moss and lichens. It too has a small entrance on the side. She sits for 12–14 days, and the chicks are fed by both adults for the next 16 days or so.
By July the young Willow Warblers are on the wing, and in August they prepare to head south with the older adults to their winter quarters in West Africa.
Willow warblers breed as far north as eastern Siberia and make an extremely long journey to Africa: 11,250km!