APART from the obvious fact that evenings are drawing in, a sure sign that summer is on the wane is when swifts begin to drift southwards.

My local swifts, sadly numbering fewer each year, had gone by the end of July. Most years all will have left by 8th August 8, apart from a few stragglers that are probably young birds.

But there is still much of the season ahead and especially from now until the end of September we can enjoy the varied soporific soothing sounds of summer.

Firstly, there is the buzzing of bees. Secondly, grasshoppers mature into adults now and begin singing, or ‘stridulating’ in earnest.

Sit in a sunny meadow and with patience we can identify each species of grasshopper and bush cricket.

The common green grasshopper sounds like a free-wheeling bicycle ticking away; meadow grasshoppers utter a regular ziz-ziz-ziz; the field grasshopper issues short sharp chirps; the scarce stripe winged grasshopper (pictured) has an undulating swish-swish-swish.

The roesels bush cricket is distinctive with his continuous rattling hiss.

Together, these summer sounds enhance out inner calm.

Another soothing summer sound is that of woodpigeons cooing away on hot afternoons and a walk in a woodland should offer us the chance to listen to them as the breeze sighs through the trees.

However, visit our local parks and instead what do we hear? Nothing but the incessant yelping of parakeets inhibiting all other bird sounds. The traditional tranquillity of most woodlands is now a thing of the past.