Sorry again about the confusion with the links last Wednesday. Damn machine took the bit and carted me. Still, some people said they enjoyed the link I put out by accident, which was some music from my son Joseph – aka The Count. I must try and get him to do a piece inspired by birdsong: Messiaen reinterpreted for electric guitar.

The music’s beginning away elsewhere. Outside Joseph’s guitar-lined room the song thrushes are getting up a real head of steam. But the real sport at this time of year is to listen out for the first chiffchaff: generally the first migrant to throw back his head and let rip. Admittedly plenty of chiffchaffs over-winter in Britain these days, but never mind: the first chiffchaff is always a bird packed with joyful meaning. Spring, life, love: that sort of thing.

So listen out for a sweet two-syllable call with an equal stress on each syllable. If one syllable is noticeably stressed it’s a great tit. Here’s a link to the marvellous British Library of Wildlife Sound – a national treasure if ever there was one — and one of their chiffchaffs.

http://sounds.bl.uk/Environment/British-wildlife-recordings/022M-W1CDR0001406-0500V0

And while where at, here’s The Count again, this time on purpose, and this time in a more melodic frame of mind. At this time of year there are lovesongs all around us, not all of them sung from the tops of trees.