April Notebook: The Dawn Chorus Issue
Bluebells, rising hope and songbirds
Hello,
Time seems to speed up in Spring doesn’t it. All those lovely, gentle months of Winter hibernation are firmly tucked away for another year now, as we give ourselves a good shake and stretch and look around to see what happened while we were away.
Turns out, quite a bit. Trees are now blossoming, green shoots are sprouting and the Spring Equinox has passed, which means we are now hurtling towards the longest day in June. Who else can feel the sudden and real shift in energy?
April is full of possibilities and potential (once we get past the Borrowing Days that is) so this month we’ll be following the lead of our pagan ancestors by waking up, getting outside and getting things done.
In this newsletter, we’ll be partying like the Ancient Romans, drinking fresh herbal teas and feeling a sense of rising hope and new energy.
Who’s with me?
Things to love about April
1. Bluebells
A woodland carpet of bluebells is one of the most magical signs of Spring in the UK. April is the best time of year to see them and you’re most likely to find them in ancient woodland. Bluebells are rare, fragile and increasingly endangered, so go out and find some while you still can, or better still, plant some.
Take a look at the Woodland Trust to find your nearest woodland.
2. The Dawn Chorus
Nothing says new Spring energy more than the Dawn Chorus, and April and May are the best times to hear songbirds singing at sunrise as thousands of migrant birds return home to the UK from their Winter sunshine break and start making some noise.
Sounds carry much further in the quiet still air of dawn, which is why songbirds are so much more active at this time as they sing to defend their patch and attract a mate. If you don’t have many songbirds near you, now is the time to make your garden more welcoming to them.
3. Rising energy levels
Living Seasonally is all about tuning into the world around you and pacing yourself to its rhythms. In Winter this meant a perfect excuse to hibernate, but now, this means tapping into all that rising energy around us. If your own energy levels are rising to meet all this new spring energy, now is the time to embrace it.
As well as rising energy, Spring is a season for rising hope too. I recently wrote about the effects of Climate Change on our ability to live seasonally. It’s something I have been feeling very anxious about, but I was really energised and happy to see the positive comments and support this article had from readers.
If you’ve been feeling anxious too, take a browse of the Comments section on this, it might help you feel more hopeful. I also included some action points at the end and some links to articles that offer positive and active steps.
Things to do in April
Feeling suitably April-ish yet? I hope so. Right, here’s your list of things to do, see and eat this month:
1. Drink fresh green teas (and herby biscuits)
Now is a great time to make some fresh herbal teas. Nettle is a natural energy booster at this time of year and there’s certainly plenty of it in the garden right now. You can make Nettle tea simply by adding freshly-washed leaves to hot water, or if you don’t want to risk the stings or are an anxious forager you can also buy dried nettle leaves (that’s what I do). It makes a pleasingly green cup of tea that tastes exactly like fresh, clean hedgerow.
For something tasty to eat with your cup of tea, how about some herby and citrusy biscuits. This recipe would go down a treat:
Easy Lemon Herb Shortbread Cookies by tablespoon.com
2. Harness some Spring energy on Earth Day
April 22nd is Earth Day; the perfect time to harness some of that Spring energy and take an active step towards protecting the environment. From big events to small actions, Earth Day is an chance to do something positive and add momentum to a global movement. This year Earth Day is focussing on reducing plastics and their website has a number of petitions to sign and actions you can take to help with this.
3. Celebrate the Ancient Roman Goddess of Spring
In Ancient Roman times the end of April was a time to celebrate Flora, the goddess of flowers and spring, with a six day festival called The Floralia devoted to flowers, dancing, games and colour.
During the Floralia people changed out of their traditional white robes into bright, colourful robes to celebrate the spring and temples were covered in flowers. The festival apparently involved dancing, performances, gladiator contests and nudity.
While you might want to leave the gladiator contests and the nudity in Ancient Rome, (or not… up to you) you could still harness the energy of the festival by wearing your most colourful clothes this month to celebrate the return of colour to the landscape.
April Folklore
Folklore this month is concerned with tracking the day that native birds will return for the spring and some timely warnings about the magic of Bluebell woods.
Here are a couple of pieces for you to squirrel away, ready to impress, surprise or completely baffle someone at the appropriate moment.
1. Observe ‘First Cuckoo Day’
14th April is known as First Cuckoo Day, which is when the first Cuckoos traditionally return from their Winter migration. Welcoming the cuckoo back marks the arrival of Spring, and whilst Climate change might be throwing a bit of a spanner in the works these days, keep an ear out on the 14th just in case.
2. Beware the ancient magic of Bluebell Woods
Folklore tales are full of warnings about bluebell woods. It is said that bluebell woods are woven through with ancient fairy magic, and if you pick a bluebell, or trample on one you could be led astray by the fairy folk. There’s a dash of practical wisdom here, as bluebells are toxic to humans, so it makes good sense to heed this folk warning, enjoy them in their natural habitat then leave them to flower in peace.
Ok, that’s all for now, I hope you enjoyed your April newsletter and I hope you have a wonderful month filled with Floralia energy, bright flowers and a beautiful Dawn chorus.
Now it’s over to you to share your April rituals and traditions in the Comments. I’m really interested to know if anyone else loves this month and if so what your rituals and traditions look like?
I’ll see you next month for a May edition of the Monthly Notebook. We’ll be diving into May Day festivities, Celtic seasonal riutuals and some tasty seasonal treats. I’ll add a sprinkling of weird and wonderful folklore for you too. Look forward to seeing you there. If you haven’t already Subscribed then just click below to make sure that post arrives safely in your inbox.
Vicky xx
This was lovely Victoria! I adore Spring so I fully welcome the blue sky and sunshine – thanks so much for the recommendations 🌼
I am really feeling the rising energy this year, and with that, also the sense of rising hope. I think I’ve aligned with April energy more than I can recall in recent years. Can’t wait to spend a sunny afternoon outside eating some lemony cookies or inside on a rainy day snuggled up with some green tea! Thank you, as always Vicky, for your mood-setting introduction into the month! 🩷