Uncaged — Nature’s Aviary Opens the Gate to Our Souls

Bless these little angels

Throughout times of trouble and challenges in my life, birds have been my comfort — they remind me that nature is the great healer. Their tweetles, chirps, trills and whistles, their music and rhythm, harmonize the environment without and within.

Have you noticed that no matter how many species of birds are singing, their voices and notes unite in natural harmony?

I love those warmer mornings of spring and summer when I can rise before they sing the first notes of their aria.

In colder weather, I can’t beat them to the day’s starting line, as I prefer to stay warm in bed. But sometimes I am semi-awake and the thrill of hearing their chorus begin warms the dawn’s chill, welcoming a new day.

In the UK, when I was a cute (?) six-year-old, we had a budgerigar called Billy.

I was always uncomfortable that he had to stay in a cage because I felt birds were supposed to fly free. I talked to him as often as I could, so he didn’t feel lonely. Then one winter morning, I came downstairs to the dining room and found him lying on the floor of his cage.

I thought he’d decided not to sleep on his perch, then realized he was dead — from the cold. My Dad, brother and I buried him in the garden and said a prayer over him.

I didn’t cry because I thought he was happy now he could fly around heaven.

As the years glide by, I have encountered many moments of joy listening to and watching a variety of birds.

At those times when we had a garden, I loved watching them splash in the birdbath or perch at the feeder for their morning breakfast of seeds.

When we went away on holiday — always to nature locations, either camping or staying in a chalet — we never forgot to pack our Newman’s Birds of Southern Africa book, so that we could spot and identify species we hadn’t seen before:

• The Knysna Lourie as we walked a trail through the Knysna forest in the Western Cape province.
• The Giant Kingfisher preening in a tree as we traveled by boat in the St. Lucia Wetlands in Kwa-Zulu Natal province on the Indian Ocean.

We noticed that nature’s avian orchestras produce distinct sounds unique to their diverse habitats.

However, life also presents many moments of anguish and sorrow.

Whenever I have been afraid of tomorrow, birdsong has comforted me, knowing they will be there in the morning to welcome the day, no matter what happens.

Fast forward many decades to where I now live in a semi-rural region of South Africa.

I said earlier that my day begins with birdsong.

Now when I go through to the kitchen to prepare our morning coffee, I’m as quiet as a mouse as I observe two lesser striped swallows perching on the washing line outside.

The other morning, one sat alone. I watched his/her little throat bulge as it sang the familiar descending four notes “eh-eh-eh-eh” a few times before another swallow swooped by. They then they flew off together into the sky.

Now that the swallows are here, I can say with certainty that summer is around the corner.

We’ve received our first rains, some as violent thunderstorms that knocked out our grid for 42 hours — but the birds sang on!

• Mousebirds who sound like a child’s squeaky toy.
• The Hadeda Ibis who screech in flight because they’re afraid of heights so the legend goes.
• Cape Robins.
• Tiny White-bellied Sunbirds with their turquoise heads and chests.
• The Red-chested Cuckoo who repeats the same three note bar again and again. (Called the Piet-my-vrou here — pronounced peet-may-frow.)

Their symphony continues to soothe during my morning meditation. I imagine they are chatting about the rain the previous night or what a beautiful day lies ahead.

As I go deeper (or is it higher when my consciousness expands?), I feel they are talking to me.

I sense that oneness of everything in the universe.

“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” — Maya Angelou

I once wondered about the tradition of depicting angels with wings. Now I believe the idea originated from the little angels who sing every day, then fly high into the sky, lifting our spirits to soar with them.

Those of my generation may remember this beautiful song by Cat Stevens, who embraced Islam in 1977 and took on his new name, Yusuf Islam.

Thank you for being here.

I encourage you to read more feathery fables:

Dr. Fatima Imam

Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles

Thank you Dr. Preeti Singh for your chirping birds prompt. I wanted to send my response on Monday but the long power interruption thwarted my plans.