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In the soft pre-dawn light of mid-April at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner steps outside at 4:45 am to capture the awakening countryside. A blackbird sings gloriously from a nearby tree, its rich, fluid notes carrying beautifully in the cool, still air, while wood pigeons coo and the first lesser black-backed gulls drift overhead. Chris explains why birds sing so early — advertising territory, the sound travelling farther in dense cold air, and the simple fact that it’s still too dark for many to start foraging on the ground. A short walk to the stables reveals the farm’s growing swallow population — now nearly 30 adults — already busily repairing nests and chattering excitedly after their long journey from South Africa. Later, in the warm sunshine, orange-tip butterflies are drawn to garlic mustard, whose triangular leaves Chris picks and tastes, noting its pungent garlic-and-mustard flavour once used with mutton. St George’s Day flies drift through the woodland edge, and a red kite quarters the fields. Listener letters add warmth: dawn chorus recordings from California, a garter snake tackling a large goldfish, and support during Chris’s recovery. This episode is a gentle celebration of spring’s awakening chorus and the tireless return of the swallows, ideal for savouring the simple magic of an early April morning.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/19032092-episode-2-68-migratory-masses-and-st-george-s-day-flies.mp3?download=true

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