It’s been very quiet during my recent walks as the local birds have been recovering from raising their chicks and then going through their annual moult. But yesterday was different. Some birds were leading their youngsters through the trees and shrubs, all of them frequently emitting contact calls to keep in touch with each other. Others – like this little Blue tit – were singing again, and those joyous sounds made me realise how much I’d missed hearing them, and how cheering their songs can be.