I am gazing out of the window of my new makeshift home office across the green in front of my house. A variety of flowers have started to poke their heads up to enjoy the watery April sunshine.

We are starting to hear reports of how nature is thriving under this new regime. With fewer cars on the roads and fewer people out of doors, we are giving nature space at one of the most crucial times of the year.

We are being told that pollution levels across towns and cities are falling, and our air quality is improving. With fewer cars, trains and planes, our urban areas are quieter, more peaceful. Staffordshire Wildlife Trust is noticing an abundance of wildlife in our nature reserves, now closed to the public, as birds and mammals are able to forage and breed without interruption.

And because we are at home far more than we are used to, we are starting to notice and appreciate the joys of our local greenspaces, be that our gardens, the parks we visit to walk the dog, or simply the trees in the street. We have time to focus on those little things, like the coming and going of birds as they build their nests, or the flitting of butterflies as they visit those flowers in the April sun.

We are often told to ‘stop and smell the roses’, but with hectic schedules of work, child care and running the home, how many of us regularly take that advice? Many people are feeling the frustration of lockdown just as we are coming into the season of fine weather. We want to be out in the sunshine, planning our holidays, not cooped up inside, a mere onlooker. But take this moment to stop and reflect.

Our quieter streets mean you can clearly hear the bird song. As we come into spring and early summer, bird song will become louder and more varied as birds sing to defend their territories and attract a mate. The first birds begin to sing about an hour before sunrise and this dawn chorus will be rich and varied. Even if you are not up at the crack of dawn, you will still be able to hear the birds singing throughout the day.

Why not check out our Bird ID Spotter to see what birds are singing in your area?

Whilst you are taking in the wonders of nature around you, why don’t you write us a poem or short story about what you see, hear and feel? For inspiration, check out the poems written about the River Trent by Burton Fields School. Submit your poems via our contact form here.

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