SIlhouettes dart from one lake to another and through the pale morning skies. Avocets screech in high pitch to defend their eggs against a squawking, hovering crow, while a Barnacle Goose with a barking voice flies above.
We are twelve people who have gathered to watch and listen at a dawn chorus session held by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Slimbridge Centre in Gloucestershire. Birding was out of my reach because I am partially sighted. Today’s topic is identifying birdsong. Am I able to feel more connected with nature?
Martin, our guide, points out birds that he can hear and see. This helps me to understand the scene. The silhouettes that I see are not just random birds, but rather the drama of avocets flying together in order to scare away the crow. I immediately feel more clear.
We walk through the wetlands center, past ponds, and along tree-lined pathways, stopping to listen. Martin draws our attention and helps us tune into the individual notes of each bird: how a goldenfinch’s songs are different. tinklesHow to? reed warbler Sings in a monotonous, almost mechanical way. The chiffchaff makes a distinctive onomatopoeic sound. Martin’s mention of the woodpigeon’s hoot brings to mind the sound of my garden cooing on warm summer evenings.
Dot, another WWT volunteer who shows me around, is also attuned by birdsong. After the morning session, I admit that I have always had difficulty identifying wildlife. I ask Dot how I can improve my bird-listening skills. She tells me to take my time and practice picking out the species I already know.
While we walk, the geese honk loudly and beautifully. Greylags, with their ungainly goslings in tow, regularly cross the path. Families are now enjoying a warm day.
Slimbridge was one of the first. WWT’s 10 UK sitesPeter Scott, the son of Antarctic explorer Robert Scott, founded the site in 1946. Warblers’ Meadow is the new accommodation at the site. It consists of five sheepskin huts set in a grassy pasture. Reed Warbler is a hut with earthy colors, a double bed and shower, as well as a kitchenette and couch area. I also have a wooden deck on which I listen to birds in the evenings.
The centre also offers canoe safaris (£10 for an hour), and it feels like exploring a secret space as my husband and I traverse the waterways enclosed by trees, paddling past the occasional bemused duck. We’re not naturals. We bump into reeds and navigate around other canoes without much grace. My husband gives instructions on how to paddle. The wind through the reeds makes it relaxing. You can smell the damp earth, trees and air, and feel the rhythmic tug against your paddle.
One evening we drove to Dursley in the surrounding area and enjoyed a delicious curries at the Everest Nepalese-Indian restaurant. Next, we drive to Uley where we enjoy a Sunday Lunch of mushroom wellington in the 17th-century pub. Old Crown Inn.
Asking the barman how to reach me Uley BuryWe follow the narrow path up through the fields and woods, taking in the lush greenery of the countryside. Listening, we paused on the hillside. My husband tells me, “Those are blackbirds.” “And I heard a woodpigeon,” adds I, smiling.
My husband pointed out loose stones and tree roots. I have a poor sense of depth, so it’s harder for me to descend. We realised that the path was steep and uneven at one point.
“I’m going have to shimmy that bit,” I said as I carefully lowered myself and ungracefully manoeuvred myself down the pathway until it was evened out. It reminds me how my interactions with the outdoors are so influenced by my sight – that I have learned to do things differently. Even so, I still enjoy our walk, with its gentle wind, greenery all around and of course the birdsong.
You can also find out more about the following: This is the word that I keep using all weekend. Despite the fact that we are busy, being in nature helps me to relax and calm my anxious mind.
The dawn chorus workshop was a place where I always felt comfortable. We shared a common experience of sound. It was a shared experience. I felt no loss when someone pointed at a distant bird, which I could not see. As I listen to birds the rest of the weekend, I realise I’ve started to unpick threads of a tapestry of song – to notice the distinct notes, the cadence and tone of each bird. Although I have much to learn, it now seems more realistic.
We listen as my husband and i sit outside the shepherd’s hut we share, drinking coffee. “Is that something called chiffchaff?” He says. “I think so.” “Who would have thought hearing a Chiffchaff could be such a joy and knowing what it is?”
I feel disconnected from nature because I am disabled. We all have different ways to connect with nature. This trip reminds me of the sensory joys of the outdoors – of the syrupy scent of wildflowers, the sun on my skin, and hearing a bird and now recognising its song.
Accommodation Activities provided by WWT. Shepherd’s Huts at Warblers’ Meadow You can find out more about £100 per night as introductory offer for stays until 31 May, then from £150 per night. See the calendars of events on each WWT site, including photography workshops and watching pink-footed goose migrations in autumn. wwt.org.uk
