We are always lucky with the bird song here. This year with no aeroplanes flying overhead and with empty roads, we are treated to the full vocal thrust of the birds.
Last week we woke and crept down over to the camping meadow at 5 am. The moon was still full and creamy and within 30 minutes the dawn was breaking. We were treated to a wondrous orchestra of birdsong and this included blackbirds, pheasants, thrushes and a tawny owl. We recorded the birdsong and posted it on our daily “Postcards “series on Instagram. Do go and listen!
The Cuckoo
At the end of last week the cuckoo arrived. He’s sounding a bit hoarse and his emphasis is on the “Cuck” and followed with a deflated “oo”. We are trying to catch him on video but he’s getting wise and so keeps eluding us. I have never seen one in real life so it’s fun trying to track him down. A picture may follow at some point…
The Nightingales
Nightingales have now followed the Cuckoo to the campsite. Sussex is one of the best counties in the UK to hear them. Only the males sing and with a repertoire of over 200 songs they crack through these at a fair pace. All the time whilst defending their territory and attempting to woo a mate! Nightingales sing all through the night, not just at dusk and dawn. They love the old railway track by the campsite as the brambly and thick vegetation there provides great cover. They are drab looking birds so blend in perfectly. We heard them last night and scrambled around in the dark trying to get a recording. However we failed miserably.
Someone doing a much better job than us is Sam Lee. He frequents the woods near the campsite and records the Nightingales singing. Make a diary note to listen to him on April 29 between 10 pm and 12 am on youtube. Details here
Bluebells
April is a most beautiful month here at The Secret Campsite. Carpets of bluebells, clusters of pale wood anemones and individual early purple spotted orchids are all tucked away in the neighbouring Knowlands Woods or dotted around the campsite. I could post 100’s of bluebell pictures here but restrained myself to just 1. Can you spot Tim’s elbow in the left hand corner?
We look forward to seeing you when we are open!
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