“I have received your harp and nightingales CD, thank you. It is beautiful, very peaceful, very calming – whilst I was listening to it in our summer house on Sunday afternoon I was watching two blackbirds feeding their babies in a rather dense ivy bush, not five feet from where I was sitting, perfect.” Suzanne
Great quality and lovely sounds
“Thank you Nick, received nightingale cd today, great quality and lovely sounds
Many Thanks”
Justin
Thank you so much for everything
“Thank you so much for everything. The children LOVED the day with you.” Technology coordinator, St John’s College school, Cambridge
I just wanted to say another BIG thank you for today
“I just wanted to say another BIG thank you for today. Apparently the reception children didn’t stop talking about you all afternoon! We must do it again soon.” Music coordinator, William Law Cof E Primary School
Heading south
I heard a blackcap singing quietly deep in a hedge on Sunday, a willow warbler yesterday and three chiffchaffs by the river today. They were all in places where I didn’t hear those species in spring. I’m guessing that they’re passing through on their way south…..
A year on the riverbank
Twelve short videos of the same scene on the River Nene between Oundle and Cotterstock – the changing sights and sounds of the seasons in a three-minute year.
Nightingales in late June
I would expect nightingales to finish singing locally around the end of the first week in June. This year there are still three singing regularly in the forest above Southwick. I recorded this nightingale last night at around 10.30pm, when the only other sounds were the lambs on the other side of the valley.
Harp and birdsong
Southwick Wood
First nightingale

Amazing starling sounds
I heard these amazing sounds coming from my roof space. At first I thought that an old battery-powered toy fire engine had somehow started up on its own, but then realised it was two starlings sitting right on top of the hatch. I reached up with a handheld recorder to record the sounds of cars starting, alarms, fire-engines…..an extraordinary display of mimicry.
First Blackbird
At 5pm I set out for a walk towards the river – it was mild and the evening light seemed suddenly to have come back. From a rooftop near Snipe Meadows there was a blackbird in full song! What a glorious sound….
Snow on snow
The birds have fallen into a deep winter hush. Only a few fieldfares were clacking as I tramped through the snow towards Biggin Hall. The ruined barn where a barnowI buzzed me back in 2008 has been done up as a shooting lodge, and the owls will have to find a new place to roost in spring. It has a lovely view looking across to Glapthorn and Short Wood on the other side of the valley, and I was very taken by the door bell.
Early spring signs
A mild and foggy morning by the river, with lots of birdsong for the time of year.
Yesterday I saw two robins fighting in the garden, dunnocks scrapping in the bottom of a hedgerow near Snipe meadow, and some very excitable greattits near the recreation ground. This morning at 9am a songthrush was singing in a nearby garden, as he has done for a week now. On a trip to North London in the afternoon I heard a few notes of a blackbird in full song – spring seems to be coming very early….
Wheeling on the wind
The first gales in a long time came roaring from the south. Geese flew in a great circle over Snipe meadow, and a single lapwing called as it rose against the wind. A songthrush took off from a tree near the boathouse and wheeled round and round the flooded meadow as if glorying in its own energy and strength.
Muntjac calls
A few weeks ago I was surprised to see two muntjac deer at the edge of Snipe Meadow and managed to get a photo of one before they both melted into the hedgerow. At 6pm today I was passing Glapthorn Cow Pasture and popped in for a few moments to listen for tawny owls. A muntjacdeer started barking as soon as I opened the gate. Hard to reconcile the sound with its small size and timidity, especially on your own in the dark!
Christmas Geese
A beautiful light
A lovely hazy Sunday, the noon sun just beginning to warm through the morning frost. At the edge of Southwick forest a songthrush suddenly broke into full song. There was too much background noise to make recordings so I took some photos instead. The red kite’s forked tail was picked out by the sunlight as he watched me walk back down the hill.
Birdsong CD
Goldcrests
Walking above Southwick I came across half a dozen goldcrests (a “charm” of goldcrests?) twittering away in a thicket. They were hard to spot but not at all shy when it came to singing.
Ludwig and the nightingale
I sent some of of my birdsong CDs to a customer in Hong Kong. He emailed back with a lovely recording he’d made of an Asian magpie robin called Ludwig, duetting with a nightingale from one of the CDs. Ludwig & Nightingale Duet