Blackbird sings

My favourite bird has to be the blackbird. I can remember years ago, doing my A levels one hot summer, a blackbird was my constant companion singing constantly in the high branches of the leafy horse chestnut tree outside my window. Ever since, I have loved the blackbird's song and it never fails to cheer me. You'll see him (it is the male who sings!) perched not only in trees but on TV aerials, on roof tops and chimney stacks, singing away. Look carefully and you'll see how his whole body is involved: a huge amount of energy goes into that song. It's described in one of my bird books as 'superb, musical, full-throated, mellow, warbling with many variations'.

Les and I went for a long walk today, and observed another songbird - the skylark. Its behaviour is amazing (captured in Vaughan Williams' music,  'Lark Ascending'): soaring high into the air with an exuberant outpouring of sound, till - seemingly exhausted with the effort - it sinks to the ground  and rests, still chirruping away. Again, it is as if all the energy of the bird goes into its song.

I wonder why birds sing. Sometimes, it seems to be entirely for our entertainment if, alone in some country place, a bird is in full voice. I believe it is also just one illustration of the Psalmist's exhortation, 'Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord!' Is it too far-fetched to believe that is precisely why the song bird exists, to give praise to our Maker, to lift our spirits heaven-ward?

This little fella came and landed by me while I was taking some pictures on Lindisfarne last month.