Donal Hickey: Birdsong and sound of silence

It’s the silence. The huge drop in noise from motor traffic, and fewer people out and about enables us to hear sounds that are usually muffled by the bustle of normal everyday life.

Because of our changed ways of living, due to Covid-19 restrictions, birdsong seems louder and clearer. Numerous people have told us they’re hearing it again. Where I live within earshot of Killarney National Park, the blackbird’s distinctive warble dominates the avian choir.