All ages and abilities welcome!  Join Evergreen Audubon for our 29^th annual Dawn Chorus at Evergreen Lake on May 6, beginning at 6:00 AM.

So, a bit on what dawn chorus is all about.  The peak of the dawn chorus occurs from about half-an-hour before sunrise to half-an-hour after sunrise.  It’s generally not a time for foraging, but strictly for singing.  From the first hooting of Great Horned Owls starting back in December to the ongoing singing of all our songbirds through July, the chorus of birds at dawn is one of the great pleasures given to us by birds.  Generally, it is males that become intent on attracting a mate and establishing a territory, urged on by lengthening daylight.  Birds vocalize throughout the year, but it is primarily during breeding season that we get to hear their song, which is different from other vocalizations.  Locally, among the first birds that we hear after the owls are our Northern Flickers and White-breasted Nuthatches followed by singing chickadees and finches.  Then, we begin to get a few migrants such as American Robins that throw in their two-cents worth.

But let’s dig a little deeper, for there are some interesting pieces to all this.  One is that the first birds begin to sing an hour (or more) before sunrise, e,g. American Robin, and then if you listen carefully you may notice a regular sequence as to who starts up next, with some species habitually starting before others and some starting later, e.g. wrens and warblers.  A second aspect to all this is that the song being sung can change slightly with increasing daylight and as insects emerge and foraging becoming more of a priority.

There is a lot more to this that we can discuss at this year’s Dawn Chorus as we brush up on our bird songs.  So, come join the Evergreen Audubon community in celebrating the advent of the avian breeding season, the return of migratory birds to Colorado, and the passing through of other migrants going farther north.

We will meet at Evergreen Lake at 6:00 am for coffee, provided by Evergreen Audubon, and then head out to the boardwalk and other trails in the vicinity.  Please bring a breakfast treat to share with your fellow birders after our morning adventure. Finger food that does not need to be kept cold or heated works best. If you have any questions please contact Chuck Aid at birdmon@evergreenaudubon.org.

Thanks!
Chuck Aid, Director of Bird Monitoring