Two or three years ago it was announced that a survey was to be conducted to judge human reaction to birdsong.

Although I've yet to see published results, I wrote at the time that to my mind at least, such a time wasting and probably expensive exercise just to tell us what we already know, was completely pointless.

We are aware that birdsong is really all about territorial defence and mate seeking and not as the Victorians thought, purely for our benefit. Nevertheless, to our ears it is beautiful and heartwarming as we listen to the dawn chorus.

Who could not fail to be moved by the heaven-high outpourings of a skylark; the flutey notes of blackbird (pictured) and glorious musicality of songthrush or nightingale?

Even now, despite the wintry weather, many birds are already tuning up for the great spring singalong. Some blackbirds are in full song; the vocalisations of great, blue and coal tits, though not strictly songs are maturing into their full repertoires whilst many robins compete.

My local dunnock chooses the sanctuary of a hedge to break into his rapid torrent of scratchy notes, almost as if he is embarrassed to be heard so early in the season.

Recently I've been saddened not to have heard my favourite chorister the songthrush for many months. But, as some compensation, a mistlethrush has sung briefly on a couple of mornings. His far-reaching song, nowhere near as melodic, sounds as if he is experimenting with a series of random syllables and can't make up his mind which to use.