I was lucky enough to spend a week skiing in Austria over half term, it’s a beautiful part of the world and I am always grateful of simply being in the mountains.
In the mornings I would poke my head out onto the balcony to look at the weather on the mountain, or to report back on any fresh overnight snow.
There would always be a familiar sound from a nearby tree, a simple yet welcome respite from the inescapable doom laden news feed. It was a particular bird song that seemed familiar, yet I didn’t know what it was. It wasn’t exactly tuneful, but its simplicity and honest regularity stuck a chord.
On my return home I heard the same birdsong whilst going for a jog along the canal path near to my home. A quick search revealed that it is in fact the bird song of the Great tit (Parus major).