Before I moved to Britain, I associated the word Blackcap with cricket: it’s the name of the New Zealand national men’s cricket team. Now, the word means bird, Sylvia atricapilla to be precise, the male with his black cap, the female with her brown one, and I look forward to their return migration each Spring.

The RSPB website notes that the Blackcap’s ‘delightful fluting song has earned it the name “northern nightingale”.’ If you haven’t heard the song, here’s a little video I shot recently of the male bird in action. British birds’ve got talent!