This year’s annual Dawn Chorus walk, led as usual by Chris Walpole, leaves Belstone Village Hall at 5.30am on Saturday 9th May (six days after International Dawn Chorus Day) and follows a varied route around the parish, through woods, across fields, along lanes and over the open moor. Last year a record turnout of early risers enjoyed a beautiful morning seeing and/or hearing 35 different species, the highlight of which was probably the moment we heard our first cuckoo calling from somewhere near Scarey Tor and at the same time all looked up to see a red kite far above us. This year’s summer visitors are arriving – I saw swallows over the cricket ground on 11th April, house martins in the village on 13th April and was told that a cuckoo had been heard at Gidleigh on 7th April.
Wear your walking boots for the rough bits and bring your binoculars and bird-identifying apps, but please leave your four-legged friends at home. We should be back at the Hall for an ‘all-you-can-eat’ breakfast of cereals, toast and bacon rolls by 8am. Suggested donations of £6 for the walk, or £12 for the walk and breakfast, will be gratefully received for Hall funds.
Chris Walpole
