For me, one of life's great pleasures is to listen to birdsong, be it the magic of a dawn chorus or an individual songster.

Sadly, the dawn chorus is a faint whisper in my area compared with thirty years ago . But for the past few weeks, since the nesting season ended birds have been moulting and with powers of flight consequently reduced, they remain largely silent ( apart from parakeets ) and hidden in shrubbery to avoid predators. Often, a rustling in the undergrowth will be a blackbird searching for worms.

At least robins are now singing (pictured) but of course we can still listen to  birdsong, albeit 'fake' birdsong by tuning in to the TV to watch soaps or other topical dramas because the producers usually dub on birdsong to the soundtrack in outdoor scenes.

So, in August and September I heard blackbirds, chaffinches song thrushes and swifts singing away merrily when in reality that does not happen!

Indeed, the same song thrush has been singing in one weekly drama for the past three years, come winter or spring!

Again, in scenes shot outdoors after dark the same fox has been barking for decades so must be quite ancient now!

So, roll on November when blackbirds and possibly song thrushes may begin tuning up for the coming spring. Let us hope so but meanwhile enjoy our real live robins sing-alongs  by both day and night.