It’s twenty years since the first Belstone Dawn Chorus walk (led by the late Mark Blacksell) and it is still going strong. This year the walk, led as usual by Chris Walpole, leaves Belstone Village Hall at 5.30am on Saturday 29 April and follows a varied route around the parish, through woods, across fields, along lanes and over the open moor. Belstone Cleave is full of newly-arrived chiffchaffs and I heard a blackcap trying out its song yesterday. With a bit of luck we should equal or perhaps exceed last year’s tally of 32 species seen and/or heard with every chance of seeing an early cuckoo and swallow. 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 £5 for the walk or £10 for the walk and breakfast will be gratefully received for Hall funds.
