THE SOUND OF GLOBAL BIRDSONG

There was a project during the pandemic to capture and broadcast live the dawn chorus of birds around the world as the sun was rising, from Australia to India, South Africa to Norway. It was incredibly ambitious.

The Norwegian chap was reporting on his leg of the broadcast, telling us about the birds while he had a rifle to hand, in case a polar bear appeared.

I was listening to the birds: kookaburras, birds of paradise, peacocks, and wondered how Scotland would sound compare to these wonderful animals.

Then it came to me, in my garden, at 4am. A blackbird appeared and just gave it absolute laldy. Our birds can compete with anything.

It was wonderful to think of us as a small cog in this wider world.