Blackcap males are singing from every available tree or patch of promising scrub at the moment, trying to impress females with their melodies.

And, during a recent walk, I spotted this nest, which, sadly, won’t get used as it had been exposed by people cutting back scrub, something that is, in fact, illegal during bird-nesting season. A BTO-nest-recording birder friend has advised that this is a Blackcap nest. He says: ‘The male builds a few “cock” nests before [the] final site is chosen. Hoping that was one!’ I hope so too.