
Crescendo and vibrato
Half way through Let Nature Sing, a bird enters the scene with a sound that builds in a perfect but wild crescendo of rising, pulsating whistles. Like a finely trained classical singer, his notes are full of evocative vibrato.
This surging bubble is made by the male curlew. It is our largest wading bird, and during the winter months you can hear its much simpler, rising “curlew” calls on muddy estuaries around the UK, where it elegantly strides, probing into the soft mud with its long, curved bill. Yes, this is another bird that was named after its call.