Songbirds

Day 23:  "Humans might be the only species to compose music, but we’re quite famously not the only ones to make it. Birdsong is all around us – even in cities, there are sparrows chirping, starlings making a racket. And it’s hardly surprising that birdsong has inspired poets. Today, we’d like to challenge you to write your own poem that focuses on birdsong."

I've recently been recommended the Merlin app,  which is a great little aid to identifying any bird that is singing nearby.  On a walk through the woods the other day I realised why I've resisted for so long the urge to put a name to birdsong: it adds very little to my pleasure, and all the screen jabbing gets in the way of actually listening.


Blackbird, blackcap, robin, wren
All singing new boundaries into their place,
Their songs sounding beautiful, even when
Gearing up for a fight, defending their space.

The Merlin app's given unhoped-for clarity
My phone to the rescue, I now know for sure
The bird that is singing; it separates similarity,
I can identify confidently, I'm a songbird bore. 

Of course, naming a species is all very well
If it adds to your pleasure, prevents getting it wrong,
But I sometimes regret that I learnt how to tell,
And don't simply enjoy the notes of each song.  


© Copyright 2025. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved.

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