Hush... it's spring!

The colours and scents of spring are exhilarating after a long, gloomy winter, but to fully appreciate the power of the season, shut your eyes and listen, urges Ajay Tegala

- Ajay Tegala

As dark, chill winter gradually gives way to lengthening hours of daylight and warming temperatures, we find ourselves looking for signs that nature is responding to seasonal changes: especially emerging leaves and flowers.

But as we go about our busy lives, the soundscape of spring sometimes goes unnoticed. Take some time to slow down, make an effort to tune in, and there is a wealth of natural sounds to soak up. In wilder parts of the countryside, the roar of traffic fades to a distant hum.

Unpolluted by modern murmurs, nature's voices sing out, soothing listeners... and sometimes even surprising or unsettling us.

The National Trust's Wicken Fen Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire is my place of work. It is also a place where my ears can detox. The baseline in the aural landscape of Wicken Fen is wind whispering through the reeds - such a calming, comforting sound, it has the power to brush away worries, opening the mind to relaxation and reflection. The fen is exposed to almost constant sweeping winds, rustling the plethora of plants that grow on this 125-year-old wildlife sanctuary.