Don't you just love this time of year? The clocks have gone forward, the evenings are getting lighter, the days are already warmer; the grass is growing; leaves are unfolding out of tiny buds and the birds have started singing.
The latter is one of the most heart-warming signs of spring as far as I'm concerned. I love to hear the dawn chorus; I like the repetitive pattern of the thrush's song and the fluty alto of the blackbird. Let's just hope no-one ever invents a 'Doolittle' machine to provide a simultaneous translation. Because those mellifluous notes aren't as nice as they sound. If you speak blackbird, you're probably hearing something rather threatening, spiced with a liberal amount of the avian equivalent of Anglo-Saxon. Because as far as anyone can tell, bird-song is a cross between an angry 'gerrof my land' farmer and 'you lookin' at my bird?' threatening behaviour. In fact, if they could they'd probably be erecting barbed-wire fences round their territory and putting up stern 'Keep Out' signs.
But they can't. What they can do is sing. Which is a pretty wonderful thing, as well as being my favourite sign of spring.
I was listening to the early morning chorus yesterday and was thinking just how wonderful it is to be able to hear it so clearly.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard The Beatles Blackbird in years, so thanks for sharing Tim!
My pleasure Pippa. I was actually searching for a clip of birdsong, but when I found that I couldn't resist it.
ReplyDeleteOur dawn chorus is punctuated with our hens calling me to get up and let them out. With the lighter mornings, it gets earlier and earlier. I'll have to either soundproof their coop, or rig up some hind of Heath Robinson contraption to open them up from bed
ReplyDeleteIt's the same with young kids, Legend. Tell you what, if you manage to invent that device can I have one? I'll adapt it so it can get Charlie's breakfast!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous song. The Beatles wrote so many great songs. Incredible.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I'll repost that again but under my new blog address:
ReplyDeleteGorgeous song. The Beatles wrote so many great songs. Incredible.
It certainly is, DD... and they certainly did. It's amazing how many iconic songs come from the pen of Lennon and McCartney.
ReplyDelete... so good you had to comment twice eh, DD?!
ReplyDeleteI was saying the very same thing to hubby the other day about the birdsong and how I miss it in winter.
ReplyDeleteLoooooove that Beatles song; one of my favourites.
Me too WM... and the worst part of liking birdsong is that it ends in about July, which seems an awful time to start thinking about winter!
ReplyDeleteOur clocks went back a few weeks ago and although it's still literally freezing here (sigh) it's lovely to have the extra light at night.
ReplyDeleteWe're still waking up to frosts here, EM - but at least they usually foretell a sunny day!
ReplyDeleteAh, sublime post! I've been meaning to shine some light on my blog but clocks haven't gone forward there, still dark!! Maybe Thursday (teacher's strike tomorrow so fun with boy)! You made me think of the Cherry Blossom and the birdsong, an amazing welcome to Spring for me! (Though I do love the Robin in the winter!)
ReplyDeleteOh yes, Stigmum, you've got to love the Robin in the winter! Here's hoping a bit of spring sunshine spreads to where you are.
ReplyDeleteBlackbirds are chavs. Everybody knows that.
ReplyDeleteIf only chavs would sing as sweet...
ReplyDeleteAs you say hello to warm weather, we start to say goodbye...supposedly. Its still stinking hot here, but I know the cold days are close.
ReplyDeleteYou have my sympathy, Polly. No, really you do... even though your 'cold' is sometimes warmer than our 'hot' ;)
ReplyDeleteI really love the change once the clocks go forward. But, something around our way is singing in the middle of the night (and I'm not talking about people staggering home after a bellyful). What bird sings it's dawn chorus at about one in the morning!?
ReplyDeleteProbably a robin, Tilly... and one rather confused by bright street lights by the sounds of it!
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