Country diary: The blackcap seems shy about the beauty of its song | Mary Montague

Crumlin Glen, County Antrim: Along this deeply wooded riverside path, I follow an impish male - or is it two?The steep sides of the ravine amplify the dawn chorus above the rush of the Crumlin River, which tumbles over black basalt from its source on Divis Mountain to its mouth at Lough Neagh. I look up at the first hesitant trills of a blackcap. His stutter climbs to a few clear notes, then babbles to a halt, as if the bird were suddenly shy of the liquid beauty of his own song.I stop to listen for more. At first there's only silence - then another outburst. It could be the same bird, gaining confidence; or it might be his neighbour, anxious to remind him of their territorial boundary. Either way, the voice is directly along this riverside path. I go on. Continue reading...