Richard Williamson- The Birds of Love
On the calm warm days the birds are singing lustily again.Chaffinch on January 22, great tit on 28, robins even earlier.
Song thrushes sing on the worst days, when it is wild, wet and windy.It is weather which brings out the snails again, which they eat so they feel sexy. It does the same to the French. Take a girl to a good restaurant, a fine bottle of wine and it might even happen to the English this Valentine's Day: it should be tried.
Mind you, it is still a little early this year. Birds will not be at their peak untilMay. SDome like the nightjar and turtle dove will not even arrive from South Africa until May 4. But I shall be counting them in at Kingley Vale from mid-March onwards.
For the full Nature Trails by Richard Williamson, see the West Sussex Gazette February 9.