In this weeks episode Niall and Ricky are bringing us the dawn chorus from BirdWatch Ireland's East Coast Nature Reserve (ECNR) in Newcastle, Co. Wicklow. Due to its diversity of habitats, the ECNR supports a wide range of species, from wrens, blackbirds, and robins to more locally confined species such as the sedge warbler, and so the soundscape in this episode is rich and textured.
As the sun rises, Blackbirds and Song Thrushes are first off the mark, with the smaller species joining the chorus as darkness fades. Niall and Ricky explain why size matters in this scenario, as well as why the dawn chorus exists as a phenomenon at all, how birds can self-harmonise and much more.
While Niall and Ricky chat, we hear the constant backdrop of the dawn chorus behind them, building as the episode progresses, perfectly accompanying their commentary. There are also moments of stillness punctuated throughout the episode, with Niall and Ricky simply sitting back and letting the birds do the talking.
Bird of the Week, this week is the Grasshopper Warbler, a bird you're more likely to hear than see, making it a fitting choice for a Dawn Chorus episode.
In Your Nature features Ricky Whelan, biodiversity officer with Offaly County Council in conversation with Niall Hatch of BirdWatch Ireland and is edited by Ann-Marie Kelly. The series is supported by Laois, Offaly and Westmeath County Councils and the Heritage Council.