I'm a sucker for 'flying lollipops'

THE crackle and pop of distant bird calls snaps a drowsy woodland out of wintry torpor.

- Stuart Winter

Bare branches stripped of dignity by leaf fall and hushed into fretful silence by the ominous approach of Storm Claudia are suddenly brought to life.

Garrulous long-tailed tits are on the move with a sizzle and sputter reminiscent of pouring milk on a certain brand of breakfast cereal. Crisp. Enticing. Energising. A Proustian madeleine moment reprises memories of childhood encounters with arboreal birds cast in many shapes and hues.