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This Sunday is International Dawn Chorus Day , an annual celebration of the beauty of birdsong. To mark the occasion we’re running lots of special guided dawn chorus events at our reserves up and down the country. To get the full effect you’ll need to set your alarm alarmingly early, but...

A few weeks back, I suggested you listen (and look out) for birds starting to sing . My tip for this weekend is to look out for other signs of spring . With snowdrops poking their heads up and daffodil leaves breaking free of the soil, there's no doubt that spring is very nearly here. Hooray! ...

It feels like it's been cold, grey and gloomy outside for months now. When will it end? To me, hibernation seems like an increasingly attractive option... But as I gaze out of the office window into the murk, there's a little voice of optimism coming from the hazel tree by the gate. For...

This morning - grey, sleety and cold - I heard my first song thrush of the year as I drove to work. What a way to start the day. If I'd had time, I would have stopped to listen... it's one of my favourite bird songs. Yesterday I heard a wisp of half-hearted blackbird song, coming from high...

The Monday morning calm was shattered by one of those moments that come along every once in a while to test the ‘manhood’ of us males. I was walking through my village with my girlfriend Laura, heading for the bus stop to catch the bus to work when a soft, but clear ‘wolf whistle’...

I've been feeling funny lately, and I wasn't sure why. Then, after giving it much thought, I decided on a likely cause. The joys of spring. I first heard of 'the joys of spring' as a child when watching that well-known '80s cartoon, Willo the Wisp. The one with Kenneth Williams as...

The snow is thick on the ground and a hat, scarf and gloves are essential outdoor wear, but one step outside shows that spring is definitely on the way. The birds are finding their voices. It’s slow progress, but listen out and you’ll pick out more and more new songs as the days and weeks...

Here at The Lodge we've been shrouded in thick cloud for the past few days. Whatever time of day you look outside, the sky is the same. Grey. Gloomy. Depressing. We haven't seen the sun for what feels like weeks... Too much time spent at your desk is a bad thing, so I escaped for some fresh air...

You either love early mornings or you hate 'em. It's a bit of both for me, I think. But Sunday was International Dawn Chorus Day - a great reason to get up early. Trust me, the hardest part is always when the alarm goes off and you think 'Mmmm, I think I'll just close my eyes for five...

Spring is here: the days are definitely getting longer. I can tell because when I get home from work, I can find the keyhole in my front door without having to get a torch out. Birds have noticed, too. Open a window just about anywhere, anytime, at the moment and your ears will be assailed with the glorious...

I suffer from the winter blues from time to time, but yesterday I heard a sound that showed that spring is not far away. I love seeing our winter wildlife - particularly those birds that come here as refugees from the northern winter - and am a big fan of frosty mornings, but winter just doesn’t...