Limerick City and County Council, hosted a community Dawn Chorus event on May 18th from 5am to 7am on the Castletroy Greenway. As part of the GoGreenRoutes project, the group walked the Castletroy Greenway at sunrise listening to the birds sing at sunrise!
The dawn chorus is one of the most magical experiences in nature. It is a multitude of birds of many different species all singing together in harmony as morning breaks and light begins to fill the skies. The chorus is at its best around 30 minutes either side of sunrise. The month of May is a great time to hear it!
One of our most important senses is the ability to hear which enables us to connect to the world, but our cities are becoming noisier and quietness is becoming a luxury available only to a few of us.
During the dawn chorus walk along the greenway an investigation of the soundscape (our perceived sound environment) was undertaken. By the analysis of a combination of psychoacoustic measurements and participants perceived responses it was established that the experience was pleasant, vibrant and calm and while natural sounds were dominant (the birdsong did not disappoint) environmental noise was still noticeable.
This type of assessment is useful to audit our publically accessible open spaces (e.g. parks and green spaces) to establish their benefit to our quality of life, improve them where possible, and aid in the improvement, design and planning of new open spaces.
Strolling along the greenway the group heard and identified a number of bird species – 22 in total!
They include;
- Hooded Crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Magpie
- Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Stonechat
- Willow Warbler, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Wren
- Blackbird, Song Thrush, Wood Pigeon, Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Starling, Swallow, House Martin, House Sparrow
- Great Tit and Robin
Over time, it is hoped that that the greenway will continue to be a treasure trove of biodiversity and place for the whole community to enjoy and benefit from.
54 people registered for the Dawn Chorus with approx. 12 people attending.
A report from the Dawn Chorus walk can be read here.