I’ve been doing bird surveys for about twelve years now. I think spending an hour or two every so often totally immersed in bird songs and calls has sharpened my hearing. I now seem to pick up the sounds when I’m not even trying and often they burst into my consciousness unexpectedly. I’m currently on the train to work and as we stopped at one station and the doors opened, a fleeting song of a blackcap came in to the carriage from the undergrowth behind the platform. It brought a little joy into my commute and stirred me from my doomscrolling on my phone.