If it is springtime
or is early summer, and
you are near the southeast coast of Britain
maybe in a decidous wood, bushes and thickets,
or just a clump of tree, with densely tangled undergrowth

in the evening
leading on to dusk
when most birds have gone to roost
and you hear a bird singing in liquid phrases
interrupted with a few ‘choc choc choc’ notes,
unlike the song of any other bird music heard in this country,
that sounds like this…

Then you have heard the song of this bird

Lucinia megarhynchos

a brownish bird
with dull buffy underparts.
at 6 inches just larger than a robin,
in Britain very shy and remain in deep cover
only if you are very very lucky you may catch a glimpse.

They arrive in Britain in late April
they sing till late May or early June
sometimes thoughout the day and well into the night.
They sing till their babies hatch, and then they take to teaching them to call.

Their songs
consists of phrases
and often repetitions of phrases,
exquisite in variety and tune, especially the deep, low sustained notes.

Come September, they are gone
back to mediterrainian Europe, North Africa and further eastward.

A bird known to many a poet
a bird in many legends and tales,
the Nightingale.

So if anyone would like to hear
the singing of one of natures virtuoso
you may not find them in “Berkeley Square”
find a bird reserve or nature reserve in the SouthEast.

If you have the opportunity, do it now,
who knows, one day they too may be gone, forever.

[The bird song recording: is from thefreesoundproject.]

birdsbird songsnightingaleenvironmentRSPB