Note of hope in nightingale song

The song of the nightingale has been heard in a woodland in Essex for the first time.

One of the world’s most celebrated songbirds, the elusive bird is on the UK red list – the highest level of threat due its dramatic decline over the past two decades. According to a recent survey its numbers have dropped by more than half since the Nineties.

For the first time, however, the bird has been heard in Fordham Wood, Essex, bringing a note of hope for a severely struggling species.

Paul Jarczewski, the Woodland Trust site manager who heard the nightingale said: “In 2002 we bought the site which was former arable land. We have planted a large new wood here and it is clear that this is attracting new wildlife.”

Male nightingale use their song, comprising a fast succession of high, low and rich notes, to attract mates. Samantha Herbert