RSPB volunteer Diane Church talks about her favourite garden bird - the blackbird.

It's human nature. The more common something is, the less we tend to value its worth. Whether it's second hand records, Lego cards or bird sightings, familiarity tends to lead – not to contempt – but to oversight. And nowhere is this truer than within the natural world.

However there is one sight that always stops me in my tracks. I've seen it hundreds of times before and it can be witnessed daily from early spring to the midsummer months. Yet it always cheers my heart. This is the sight of a male blackbird singing his rich, varied and flute-like song from the highest point round.

With a population of around six million pairs in the British Isles, the blackbird is the nation's most numerous breeding bird. So there's a pretty good chance that wherever you are: on your way home from work in a major city; hiking in remote woodland; or enjoying a cup of tea in your back garden: you can enjoy a moment of contemplation and appreciation with a nearby blackbird. For me, this little fella's song is one of nature's purest and finest pleasures of life.

The male blackbird is one of easiest birds to recognise and children and non-birding adults love it for this reason. However, as with all things nature-based, that's where the certainty ends. For female blackbirds being brown with a sometime speckled or striped breast can vary greatly in their appearance.

Getting started in life is no easy matter for blackbirds. Their nests built close to the ground in bushes and shrubs makes eggs and fledglings easy pickings for predators. Also, being open, the nests lack protection from bad weather which can often lead to them being abandoned. Up to nine out of ten nesting attempts end in failure. To overcome this, blackbird chicks are remarkably resilient and are able to leave their nest as early as nine days after birth, if necessary, and survive.

Blackbirds stay close to where they hatched throughout their lives and will generally stay with the same mate for life. So, if you've seen a blackbird singing or nesting once, there's a good chance it will be the same bird you see in the same place months, or possibly years, later.

If you've had a stressful day at work or an upset with the kids, peer out the window for a moment and look for a blackbird. Running across the garden lawn, the blackbird pauses for a moment, probing the ground for insects or a plump earthworm, before flying low or running back across the ground to the shelter of nearby shrubs and bushes.

Being such a welcome friend, the blackbird has been the source of artistic inspiration appearing in nursery rhymes, pop songs, as well as in poems by Lord Alfred Tennyson, William Henley and RS Thomas.

Personally, my favourite reference is in The Beatles' song Blackbird. This simple, poetic song by Paul McCartney has been interpreted in many ways, but whether it's about nature, love or a metaphor for the civil rights movement in America, it doesn't really matter. There's a purity to the song's tune and lyrics which make hope abound - in much the same way as the blackbird's song.

On January 27, 28 and 29, it's the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch. By taking part in this flagship event for an hour over the weekend, you will not only make a contribution to the RSPB's vital monitoring of current garden bird numbers, but you will be able to observe and connect with the wildlife in your garden a little more closely.

Odds are that you'll see a blackbird, but if you're really lucky and the weather is fine, you may even get to hear one of the first blackbird songs of the year, as the male marks his territory for the breeding season ahead. The blackbirds singing so early will be last year's fledglings – keen to get started before more established males start singing in March.

So get watching and listening during the Big Garden Birdwatch. The blackbird may lack the prettily-coloured plumage of the goldfinch or blue tit; and they may not undertake the epic, mysterious journeys of migrating visitors, but their other qualities abound. Take the opportunity to observe anew and enjoy a new perspective on this old garden favourite.

For your free bird identification chart, an RSPB shop voucher, and advice on attracting more wildlife to your garden, register at: rspb.org.uk/birdwatch, or text BIRD to 70030.