The birds are singing in Finemere Wood. Enchantingly beautiful, each species has an aria of its own, their songs can be powerfully uplifting for human souls.

I, for one, am a novice who struggles with identifying birdsong, but it is a skill I keenly pursue. In the depths of a wood it can be challenging to spot birds and yet they can often be heard.

And so, amidst this opera of nature, the venturesome volunteers continued with the spring task of fencing in the newly scalloped edges of the woodland rides.

Whilst the team transported cumbersome fence panels to areas of need, one volunteer slipped away to play with his new toy. A talented photographer with an impressive array of photographic equipment, he now has a recording device and so set about capturing birdsong.

Mischievous by nature, it was not only birdsong which was recorded, he was also spotted tapping into the ramblings of the labourers.

The green woodpecker (Picus viridis) is the largest of the three species of woodpecker to be found in the British Isles. Predominantly green with a red head, yellow rump and a black “moustache”, it has a characteristic undulating flight and a distinctive, loud laughing call. It spends much time on the ground feeding upon ants, its most favourite food. Picus viridis rarely moves far from where it was hatched and they can often be heard in Finemere Wood.

These birds pair for life and yet spend most of the year apart, getting back together during the mating season. The males excavate their own nest holes, often choosing soft or dead wood as their beaks are weaker than those of other woodpeckers. It is labour intensive process that can take up to four weeks.

The youngest volunteer, by quite a few years, was my son. Having reached his teenage years, I decided that the time had come to initiate him into the world of volunteering. I like to immerse him in the beauty of the natural world whenever I can, in the hope that he will learn to share my passions.

It was a promising start, he happily carried fence panels, helped to position and join them together, and even recognised the song of a green woodpecker.

Come and join the Finemere Wood volunteers. Everyone's welcome and no experience is necessary!

Email Charlotte for further information

Next Work Party Dates: Thursday 25 April, Thursday 9 May, Thursday 23 May; Thursday 13 June, Thursday 27 June 9.30am-3pm.