We will meet at the Buell’s (9533 Keswick Ave N, Grant MN 55082) to hear the “dawn chorus” and sharpen our bird sound identification skills. The site, which encompasses wetlands, woodlands, fields, yard and gardens, hosts diverse species that will please and challenge our ears. The meeting time coincides with the morning bird sound peak—½ hour before until ½ hour after sunrise. Please drive down the long driveway. There is plenty of parking near the house and on a circle drive in front of the barn Backup: May 17—5:10-6:10 a.m. if May 3 listening conditions are unfavorable. Drizzle or light rain is OK, but the walks and sit will be cancelled if it’s very windy or significant precipitation is likely. Registration is optional . If you register then we can send email updates in case of cancellation.
Impetus for this event surfaced at the 2019 Birding by Ear discussions that George Vania and Bob Bystrom, but anyone is welcome to attend. ____________ An annual International Dawn Chorus Day is held on the first Sunday in May where the public is encouraged to rise early to listen to bird song at times and places scheduled for that purpose. The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country sponsored the first such event in 1984 at Moseley Bog in Birmingham, England. Dawn Chorus Day is now a minor holiday in Britain and some European countries, but it isn’t celebrated much in the USA. In addition to their recreational value, such group and individual listening activities are of scientific and ecological interest. Go here to learn about soundscape ecology: https://news.wisc.edu/aldo-leopolds-field-notes-score-a-lost-soundscape/ https://www.ecology.com/2012/08/24/soundscape-ecology/
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