Just over two years since our last public group walk on the Hill, we were delighted to welcome back local bird expert & broadcaster Ed Drewitt for another dawn chorus walk.
After some heavy overnight rain we were pleased to have a dry and mild morning as we walked up the Hill to meet for our 5.30am start.
We were rewarded with a very intense dawn chorus, blackbirds led the way, soon joined by robins, dunnocks, wrens, song thrushes and a great tit. The gulls also made themselves heard.
As we moved around the Hill and the light increased the extent of sound noticably dropped, but we were then able to see some of the birds. Magpies were building nests, a heron flew overhead and blackbirds and robins perched on branches.
One of our walkers found the remains of a blackbird's egg on the ground.
At the end of the walk we heard a chiffchaff - either an early returning migrant, or one that had over wintered here.
The walk had been fully booked and we were pleased to have an excellent turnout, including one of the younger members of the group who was celebrating his birthday.
Listen to Ed talking about the birds of Troopers Hill as part of our Audio Trail >>.
Listen to the 2008 dawn chorus recorded on Troopers Hill >>
Full list of birds seen or heard - 1.Blackbird 2.Robin 3.Wren 4.Great tit 6.Herring gull 7.Lesser black backed gull 8.Woodpigeon 9.Magpie 10.Song Thrush 11.Chiffchaff 12.Carrion Crow 13.Canada goose 14.Dunnock 15.Goldfinch 16.House sparrow 17.Mallard 18.Heron
