There’s something exhilarating about getting up early in the morning and going for a walk.

The air has a certain freshness that you just don’t get at any other time of day, plus the added bonus of having the dawn chorus ringing out in a symphony of birdsong.

My destination today was the canal at Westleigh, and my companion was my four year-old border collie, Nala. As we got out of the car, we could hear the low squeaking of moorhen chicks coming from somewhere within the thick reed beds. With every call, Nala would tilt her head to one side in curiosity. Along the side of the towpath, bramble bushes were displaying an abundance of juicy blackberries, so I sampled a couple – they were deliciously sweet.

As we crunched our way further along the towpath, I heard the sound of a white throat calling, and swinging round I managed to locate the small bird perched in a tree behind me – its distinctive white throat quivering as it sang out in the early morning sunshine.

It was soon joined by a reed warbler, and the two birds performed a very pleasant duet, complete with backing vocals provided by the fluty song of a blackbird and a rather enthusiastic song thrush.

We sat down to listen to this free concert, although Nala was more interested in watching the common darter dragonflies flitting past as they hunted for insects. What a great start to the day for a couple of early risers.

LB LOXLEY