A blue-grey blush along the eastern horizon was the only hint of approaching daylight as I joined a group of game-looking individuals in the darkness. It was 4:30am, and some 35 of us had gathered at the north west corner of Ireland’s first marine nature reserve to witness one of….

Early morning is a good time for birds… that’s a well known fact. It’s also a well known fact that 4:00am is a sub-optimal time for a 40 year old night owl with a propensity to stay up too late. But come tomorrow morning… that I will be that soldier…..

Birdwatch Ireland has published a list of events taking place around the country on National Dawn Chorus Day 2011, which takes place on the Sunday 15 May. National Dawn Chorus day is Birdwatch Ireland’s most popular wildlife event of the year, and sees people getting out of bed a bit….