Brace yourself. I’m about to give you a rich gift. It’s probably the greatest gift I’m capable of giving anybody, and if you accept it fully, it will change your life forever. Not that I’m overstating anything. If you really do accept this gift, you’ll come to agree that it’s a pretty modest assessment.
Listen.
It’s February and spring is already well underway, the world committed to the transition to longer and warmer days, days in which life is jumping with the effort to make more life – just listen to the birds.
And here’s the one to listen out for. You can hear it in the countryside, in the suburbs, in gardens and parks, and even in the heart of town: a bird that sings two or three phrases all the same, then shifts to a different phrase and repeats that one too. Then onto the next, usually different again. The phrases can be declamatory, sometimes fluty, sometimes challenging and modern, but they’re always short and always repeated. Here’s an example: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/song-thrush/
No two song thrushes sound exactly the same. Each male has a different repertoire: sometimes imitating other birds, or natural or manmade sounds. But there’s always that repetition: that delight in doing it again – and then moving on to something new. Every song thrush sounds different: but always sounds like a song thrush.
There have been two or three singing round my place: the first one started on January 28. The place is transformed as a result: we’re no longer hanging on hoping to get through the winter, we’re moving into spring with a lot of hope and a fair bit of a swagger.
So listen out for the bird that repeats itself. Repeats and then moves on. It’s not just a song thrush: It can be, if you wish, the portal into the world of birdsong. And that’s one of the great joys of my life.
That is exactly what I did this February morning – had an early breakfast in my garden listening to a wondrous song thrush. In the chorus line were a blackbird, robin and woodpecker. Not bad for South London.
Just recievd your post by email and waht do we hear in the sun is our 1st Song Thrush singing in the Brecon Beacons sunshine. A positive heart warming sound that heralds the coming of spring.
SOng thrushes lead the way into spring
“That’s the wise thrush. He sings each song twice over…”
Beautiful
How I agree with you about the joy of birdsong. Just listening to the house sparrows chattering in my hawthorn tree is enough to lift my spirits on a dull day.
Thank you very much, my recently deafened husband (caused by a virus) can hear it. What a joy. .He had almost perfect hearing – with ordinary loss of the sound of crickets abounding in our 2 acre wilderness which have to be located with a bat detector, but thankfully clear birdsong consoles.
Delighted your husband can still hear the birds —
I knew from the start you were going to talk about the song thrush, because hearing them is indeed the greatest gift. I’m truly blessed by having a resident in the garden – I call him ‘BBC’ due to all the repeats.
A gift beyond price Simon, thank you.
Thank you Simon for describing and explaining so clearly.
Thansk for nice words, Ann
I’ve just arrived back in Australia after two weeks in the UK and one of the most memorable moments was listening to the drumming of a greater spotted woodpecker accompanying my woodland walk. The arrival of Spring truly is a special time of year and stirs the soul.
I Couldn’t agree more. I heard my first song thrush of the year while out on a walk with my 92 year old friend – yes 92. We stopped, we listend, enthralled, and searched the bare branches of this tiny, barely mappable copse. We waited patiently for a movement and were not dissapointed. Calling for a mate from different branch. No repetition of a melody that no composer could emulate. We were transfixed, mesmerised and filled with joy, Simon is absolutely right.
For the last couple of weeks we’ve been woken by “our” song thrush at first light.
One morning I had to set an alarm for a day in London. I didn’t miss out. From the scrub by platform 3, the same song – except, of course, not quite.
No need to see the birds: we were given the gift many years ago. It’s good to be reminded just how life-changing it is.
Thank you.
The year is turning — the singers tell us all about –
You are something of a songthrush yourself, Simon.
A reference to reptition, no dobut.
A beautiful sound, and very precious gift to receive. Thank you.
Most welcome!