And the birds went “tweet, tweet”, or at least some of them did
David Stubbings, September 2026
What was I doing, on Sunday 11th May 1952 at 12 Bishop’s Road, getting out of my snug bed, dressing, and climbing out of my bedroom window (so as not to disturb my parents), in the middle of the night. Then cycling through the silent dark gloom, not seeing a living thing, down to the entrance to Byron’s Pool woods, where Harry was waiting for me. “Glad you could make it”, he said. Harry Thomson was Assistant Scout Master of the 44th Cambridge (Trumpington) scout group, and I was Troop Leader. We were both keen ornithologists.
In 1950 and 1951 there had been controversy about the Dawn Chorus in the press and on the radio and so the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) wanted to settle the matter. We were taking part in the first National Census of the “Dawn Chorus”.
It had been organised by the BTO who had recruited the Scout Association to supply the troops on the ground. England had been divided arbitrarily into two, South and North, we were south, designated for 11th May, and the north a week later. Efforts had been made to spread the observers widely throughout the South region. Cambridgeshire was well represented.
Harry had received by post the instructions and the recording forms, and had coordinated his watch by the time signal broadcast by the BBC. We were to be in place at least an hour before sunrise, which was 05.12 BST on that day. As it was then 03.30 we were well in time, but needed to be within the woodland. The state of the weather had to be recorded, which we did, it being dry and mild.
This was a pen and paper exercise, as affordable and transportable electronic apparatus was unknown.
We were ready, so we walked as quietly as possible into the woods, the only sound being the soughing of the gentle breeze in the tree branches. Having found a suitable place in the middle of the wood we settled down and waited, conversing only in whispers when needed.
And then the first bird sang, it was a Robin, and it was carefully noted down with the exact time, a Blackbird followed and the chorus began, with us noting each bird species song we recognised and when we first heard it until we had to finish half an hour after sun up.
We then went to our separate homes a bit sad really that we did not celebrate but we were both tired and we had not realised the national significance of what we had just done.
Thus, Byron’s Pool woods took part in the first national census of the dawn chorus and not only that, in the first community science project carried out in this country.
So, are our carefully written notes mouldering in some dank and dingy dungeon, maybe? Perhaps! But first they had, with all the other scouts’ results, been transferred to punch cards for analysis and then publication, so they were worthwhile.
Byron’s Pool woods, Trumpington, had played its part in a national project and I am proud to have been part of it!
P.S. I have heard that the dawn chorus is only 30% of what it was in 1952.
Appendix
Harry Thomson, the Assistant Scout Master of the 44th Cambridge (Trumpington) Scout Group was an excellent leader. He had a quiet authority, was very knowledgeable of scouting matters, and the boys liked him. He was very reliable. He had come down from Durham to a post in the University Press. He was one of only two males who took part in the “Queens of England” pageant, (which was written and produced by my mother Joan Stubbings), so you can see him in the group photo of the Pageant. Sadly, we lost him when he had to return to Durham.