Bird concert

You hear birds every morning, but they run as background, like a fridge humming. The moment you start counting voices, the background breaks into individuals.

Go in the morning, ideally before nine — later the birds go quiet. Find a place with fewer cars: a park, a cemetery, a yard with trees, the edge of a wood. Sit down and stay still for the first couple of minutes, until the birds stop taking you into account. Close your eyes and count voices rather than birds: five or six is already good, eight is excellent. Track on your fingers or in a notebook where each sound comes from: above, to the side, far off. After fifteen minutes open your eyes and try to spot at least one of the birds you heard.

How much is sounding around you every day while you do not hear it?