Nesting instinct

"Bees come out of their hive, the partridge begins to pair, the blackbird whistles and the field and woodlarks sing".                                                                                            J.C. Loudon 1882 Encyclopedia of Gardening

Well, I haven't had much time in the garden lately but the bird population have been  compensating for my absence, not only with their romancing and whistling. Sitting painting quietly in my studio it sounds as though an army of builders have arrived, with a resonating tap and a scrape as moss is salvaged from the tiles and debris scratched from the gutters. Perfect materials for a 'new build' elsewhere.