NATURE | CREATIVITY | LIFE
Fanfare, Fuss, and Fandom
The local birds of Toronto are welcomed on our balcony
Feathers and furs used to be a source of irritation, annoyance, and inconvenience. Neither did I care for any fans-What would I do with so much admiration and adoration? (😂😂).
Now, I’m an animal lover, bird protector, and environmentalist-this new identity came with the appearance of a magnificent being in my life. Heartfelt thank you to Dr. Preeti Singh for this prompt and everyone’s indulgence to read about my well-kept secret (❤️❤️)
I don’t recall any dramatic incident about being scared of birds, but I didn’t like any feathers, so I used to ignore all feather-related things to utter the frustration of my family and friends.
Whenever I went to the zoo, the section where the birds were housed was avoided with some flimsy excuse as I didn’t disclose my embarrassing secret (☺️☺️)
Animal furs and hair were the most annoying ones, as I had severe allergic reactions near the presence of little furry beings. Food was literally stuck in my mouth, causing choking reactions (no exaggeration).
Human beings were my best people as I devoted all my energies to loving, caring, and serving them, and all other beings were respected, acknowledged, and tolerated.
They occupied a small part of my universe; despite the repeated rejections, betrayals, and indifference, I still kept on trying to connect with them.
Life went on as usual, where everyone and everything could come and go at will without me becoming over-stressed or over-attached.
Then, the furriest being I’ve ever seen came into my life and quickly pasted his fur on every nook and corner of my house and my heart. To this day, I don’t know what happened to my allergies, as I’m thriving under furry conditions.
Not only that now my favorite pastime is watching birds with Luke. Now I think of ways to lure the birds near our house at a safe distance, of course, and bird feeders have been a great help.
I recognize the local birds of Ontario that frequent the trees near my balcony. Some of them perch on the trees in the summer months and here they are:
Cutest and sweetest house sparrow that create so much noise throughout the day:
Black-capped Chickadee even ventures inside the house if we’re lucky:
Blue Jays are such a treat to watch:
I like the of these birds and get excited to see them doing their daily activities in the early morning or evening routines. We assign quirky names to each family, suggest nesting options, of course, provide food and water.
Luke and I fully appreciate the birds’ contribution to our ecosystem and how they should be protected from the vicious claws of all predators.
Let’s create a world where every being is safe and loved. I would like to end with this quote:
“Wherever there are birds, there is hope.” Mehmed Murat Ildan
© Fatima Imam (All Rights Reserved)
This song comes to mind when I think about my transformation:
Love Changes Everything:
This post is written in response to Dr. Preeti Singh’s latest nature prompt for Reciprocal:
Thank you to the editors of Reciprocal Sahil Patel, Dr. Preeti Singh, and Yana Bostongirl for their consistent support and encouragement. ❤️❤️
Today, I would like to give a shout-out to two amazing writers:
Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles’s amazing story of bird watching:
Shameem Anwar’s sweet story about the fight between the Sun and the Moon: