International Dawn Chorus Day is on Sunday, the 5th May 2024 

I woke up at 4:30 this morning and lay in bed listening to the birds as they sang outside the bedroom window and thought how wonderful it must be to have such a glorious chorus every day to be so happy! 

Listening to birdsong is a great way to start the day!

In fact, I’ve been waking up a lot recently at about 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning, and I find I just love lying in bed, listening to the birdsong.  It’s such a lovely start to the day!   OK, sometimes I do drift off back to sleep, but the birdsong is both soothing and motivating at the same time – I let my mood take me where it feels.  It’s a wonderful way to empty your head of everything and just listen to our feathered friends.  I find it very therapeutic.

Sunday, the 5th May is International Dawn Chorus Day

Anyway, the first Sunday of May is International Dawn Chorus Day.  Would you believe that the event started out in the 1980s in Birmingham and now, people in over 80 countries take part!

It’s a worldwide celebration of the dawn chorus and people all over the world will be waking up in time to put the kettle on and just listen to our beautiful birds, whilst sipping a cup of tea, or perhaps they’ll just lie in bed and listen.

You can listen to the life outside chatting away, and singing a song, and ask yourself, What is it that makes birds so cheerful at this time of the morning??   And who am I listening to?

The Wildlife Trusts's website has help on identifying bird song (such as the blackbird and robin, the chiffchaff and the blue tit), and you can actually listen to a number of birds so that you know what to listen out for if you want to pick up the sound of a particular species. 

The Wildlife Trusts have events taking place in many different areas.  There are 46 Trusts in the UK, and you can find your local Trust here.

The RSPB also has a number of events - take a look at them here.

Take part – just listen to birdsong!

All you have to do to take part is listen!  Who might you hear? The song thrush, the blackbird, or robin or blackcap or chiffchaff?  You could record some of the song on your phone and then play it back to see if you can recognise any of the sounds, using the Trust's website to help you.  If you're listening outside, don't forget that it can still be chilly in May in the early mornings so a coat and a hot brew could be handy...

Fly off here to the Wildlife Trusts’ website to hear some great birdsong!

By the way, if you want to try your hand at birdwatching through binoculars to see who you can spot and what they're doing, the RSPB has a guide to buying binoculars which hopefully will help you if you're just starting out.   

Also, did you know that there are some wonderful videos you can listen to on You Tube for bird song?   I personally found this one very relaxing (I didn't listen to all of it because I nodded off, but it was very enjoyable to listen to and a nice change from the radio or TV). 

Did you see the Yorkshire Vet on Channel 5 tonight (the 30th April 2024)?  

On the programme, there were some amazing dogs giving blood - so I thought it would be helpful if I put up a quick blog about the Pet Blood Bank with a link.

The dogs giving blood can really save the lives of dogs in need, just as people can with the human blood bank.   You can find out more here - the Pet Blood Bank has lots of information on its site for dog owners and they are working on a pet blood service for cats. 

This is Yogi the blood donor.  He's a Doberman, and so far this very special dog has saved the lives of up to 60 dogs by giving blood.  Pet Blorod Bank say that every unit of blood can save up to 4 lives. 

The criteria for whether your dog can give blood is here.

A huge thank you to the vets and the programme for raising awareness of the chance pet owners have got to take their pets to give blood, if they can.  And to the dogs for being so brave and their owners for volunteering their dogs. 

Visit the Pet Blood Bank here.

Those fabulous people at Garden Wildlife Direct have some fly away fantastic offers on throughout the year, with everything you need for your garden birds and wildlife!

Garden Wildlife Direct has seed mixes for spring, summer, autumn and winter, with different brands including Peckish, Wildlife World, Gardeman and Garden Wildlife Direct's own brand.   

They've got Songbird Spring Mixes, great for supporting birds during the months of spring and summer, and particularly during the fledgling season;  and they've got Premium Seed Mixes - support those feathered friends of yours! - and High Energy Mixes. These have a mix of nutrition and energy, and you can youse them with feeders, bird tables and on the ground. 

And they always have lots of lovely offers on, perfect when we are all trying to help wildlife and yet make our money go further.  And the great news is that Garden Wildlife Direct have very regular offers to help you do just both those things! 

You can also check out Garden Wildlife Direct's budget bird food, to help you save money whilst supporting wildlife and giving them a helping hand. 

There's all sorts of bird food, from seeds to sunflower hearts, suet balls to food for wildlife.   They've got sunflower heart/seeds, Millet seeds, bird food bundles and starter kits for those of you who want to start feeding the birds in your garden. 

 
There's Premium Sunflower Heart Kernels
They are high in energy, and nutritious for birds
from £6.99

They've got suet fat balls, suet blocks, suet coconut shells and suet pallets, plus a range of feeders for mealworms, ground feeders, sunflowers and seeds.

Why not treat the birds in your garden to a Giant Christmas Berry Suet Cone?
suet is the perfect all-year round treat and 
the cone has a built in string attached so that you can hang it from a branch,
a bird feeding station or bird table 
£4.99

If you haven't got a garden, you can still do your bit with a window feeder, and there  are window sticker alerts to stop the birds flying into your window and injuring  themselves or worse.

And of course you can get a full range of accessories such as bird tables, bird baths, nesting boxes, organments for your garden and things to store your bird goodies in.

These are Premium Insect Suet Pellets, full of essential fats and minerals
from £10.99

This Wildlife World Bempton Hanging Bird Table 
could make a great gift for someone and for garden birds!
£36.99

If you have or want to encourage ducks, swans, hedgehogs, squirrels, chickcn and poultry, then they have food for those animals as well, plus bee houses and insect hotels. 

If you have squirrels who keep pinching the food meant for the birds,
try a squirrel proof bird feeder

This is a great chance to get stocked up with essentials for the wildlife in your garden, be they birds, or bats or hedgehogs. squirrels or bees, so fly off to Garden Wildlife Direct for more information

Have you heard of Lily's Kitchen?

They create yummy, wholesome food for both cats and dogs - they believe our cherished family members deserve to eat proper food full of nourishing ingredients.  They're on a mission to give pets a diet full of goodness, whilst treading lightly on the planet at the same time! 

For dogs , they've got dry dog food, wet dog food, dental chews, treats, selection boxes and more.   They've got diets for dogs with sensitive tummies, and sensitive skin, and special diets that are grain free, hypoallergenic, organic and vegetarian.  You can order for puppies, adults and seniors.  They've got recepies in beef, chicken, salmon, goose, herring, lamb, pheasant and pork so you've got lots of choice!

Oy!  What about us?!!

And for our feline members of the family, there's wet food, dry food, treats (of course!), selection boxes and you can choose from special diets such as grain free and organic and hypoallergenic.  You can also choose for kittens (under 1), adults (1 to 6) and seniors (7 plus).  Recipies include beef, chicken, salmon, cod, trout, prawn, turkey, pork, lamb and duck.  Miaow!! 

They've also got helpful tips on caring for your dog and caring for your cat, so head over to Lily's Kitchen to find out more!

 
Those lovely folk at Pooch & Mutt have a range of treats for your woof, whether you want to show them even more love than usual, or help their dental health or calm a nervy dog.  

They've got natural meals, treats and supplements to give dogs the optimal ingredients they need to boost their mood and behaviour "paw in paw", as they say,  with their physical health.

Although Easter is over, Pooch and Mutt have Easter meaty treats for your canine member of the family! 

Take a look at their Easter probiotic meaty treats!
Why not create a meaty trail for your dog to hunt out?
If it's a rainy day, you could do this indoors.
Find out more here.

Give your pooch a tasty spring fling, with Pooch & Mutt’s Easter Meaty Treats! With ingredients of Lamb, Chicken and Spring Greens to get them feeling good, it’ll be a romance to remember - aaaaahhh!   Dig out more here.

Spring Is Here!  And there's a great offer from Pooch and Mutt for you: 

Put A Spring Into Your Dog’s Step, With Pooch & Mutt’s 20% Off!   Use the code SPRING to get 20% off site wide until 8th April 2024.  

Spring into action here to get your 20% off!

Don't forget that Pooch & Mutt have also got some delicious dental treats, too...

These are Superfood Dental Sticks for Dogs for £3.99
made with natural functional ingredients. 
A convenient way to clean your dog's teeth!

They have calming probiotic meaty treats, suitable for ages 12 weeks plus.
They are grain-free, Turkey & Hemp moist Meaty Treats
designed with nervous dogs in mind.  £3.99.

And there are Skin & Coat Probiotic Meaty Treats, 
with Shrimp & Coconut for £3.99.  
Pooch & Mutt say they are just the thing for dogs 
who are prone to dry and itchy skin or
who may need some help developing a glossy coat. 

Head off to Pooch  Mutt - they've got lots of lovely goodies for your dog (and cat) which will get tails wagging and cats purring! 

1^st April to 1^st May is #NationalPetMonth.

It celebrates pet ownership and raises awareness of responsible pet ownership.

It also encourages everyone to raise funds for those animal charities working so hard to help pets – and they’ve really, really need our help at the moment.  Many charities are just absolutely inundated with pets, many of whom were got during lockdown with little thought into training and the time and care pets need. 

Pets have many benefits.   So National Pet Month wants to hear about fundraisers and events supporting the UK’s many pet welfare organisations and charities. 

These fundraisers and events can be individual efforts or larger events, and they can be virtual or in person.

Animal welfare charities, professional bodies, pet businesses, schools, youth groups, pet lovers and pet owners can all get involved and celebrate our wonderful pets, and they can also raise awareness using the resources National Pet Month has on its website!

Find out all about it from National Pet Month

 National Pet Month on Facebook

and on Twitter 

#NPM24

And if you're a dog lover, you could take a look at God made a Dog - a video on You Tube which personally I found very moving!

If you're looking for an animal experience as a gift for an animal lover, or you want to treat yourself, take a look at gift experience company Into the Blue 

They've got a number of animal experiences, with animals such as ferrets, tamarin monkeys, alpacas, meerkats, pigs, sheep, snakes and crocodiles, bees, horses and donkeys. 

There are animal experiences here.

Bee-keeping experiences are listed here.

Fly off to see the falconry experiences here.

Click here to see the photography experiences - there are some wildlife photography experience days amongst them.

There are lots of falconry experiences to choose from
- there are locations around the UK and they start at £24.50
Experience a meeting and handling a bird of prey
and even flying them to your gloved hand!

Try a bee keeping experience!
They start at £35.00
Find out all about the art of keeping bees and making honey!




There are a number of animal-related photography experiences
- some are not animal related and some are online.  

Have a sheepdog experience in West Yorkshire
for £85.00
Have a full day with Border Collies
Learn how to handle and train the dogs
Learn about farming, sheep and sheepdogs
Shepherd a small flock of sheep

You could go Alpaca Walking in Warwickshire 
from £7.50 for a child, £13.50 for an adult.
Meet the alpaca herd near Atherstone
and head off on a guided walk with your alpaca!

There's Sheep Trekking in Somerset
from £25.00
Meet and greet the friendly sheep and give them snacks
Lead a sheep on a stroll across fields and through woodland

There's Ancient Trails Pony Walking in Dorset
from £49.00
This is a great way to discover Dorset, 
on a guided pony walk with a pony by your side!




Meet the Meerkats in Oxfordshire
Learn all about the Meerkats' lives as a family
and get to feed them inside their enclosure
 

Click here to see all the Animal Experience Days and Gifts