FOR a truly uplifting experience, set an alarm clock and take a seat in the garden just before it begins to get light.

This is the advice from Edward Andrews from Shropshire Council’s outdoor partnerships team. The team manages and preserves country parks and countryside sites across Shropshire for people to enjoy and wildlife to flourish.

If getting out of bed early is not on the agenda, simply open the bedroom window and listen to the bird song.

Often it is the robin that can be heard first.

This species can even be heard singing in the dark, triggered by the presence of artificial lighting. Sometimes people mistakenly think they can hear the song of a nightingale.

Both species have a wonderful warbling song with dips and trills that speak of all the promise of spring.

However, the nightingale is now a rare species in the UK; the robin is a common and endearing early-morning sound.

The enforced stay at home for many people does at least provide an opportunity for them to have a look at wildlife near at hand that might otherwise be ignored.

This is the busiest time for garden birds as they undertake the task of nesting and raising young.

As well as listening to bird song there is the chance to photograph and draw or paint them.