On 6 May last year, just before the first light of day,  a robin sang the opening notes of the dawn chorus in John Miller’s Wiltshire garden at precisely 4.35am.

For the rest of that day, until a tawny owl passed over at 9.23pm, each bird is briefly brought to life with John’s observations and fascinating backstories: their nests, their eggs, their battles, their triumphs.

Sound recordist Alex Byng and photographer David White were with John throughout this red-letter day – which anyone can replicate in their own garden, using the Merlin bird ID app to help identify bird songs and confirm sightings. 

John Miller is a board member of the charities Atlantic Salmon Trust and Curlew Action. He actively supports the introduction of the new GCSE for natural history onto the syllabus, believing education is the key to environmental advocacy.