As the autumn progresses, I have been walking with my cat in the early dawn hours. I enjoy the bird songs during these walks. Just as during the Covid years when I often sat out in the garden in the early morning to listen to the birds. Birds are one of the most ubiquitous wildlife in the urban environment; from sparrows to crows. They are found globally and are one of the most studied groups of animals. There are over 11,000 species worldwide, out of which around 1700 are globally threatened and another 940 are near threatened.1 That number amounts to over 22 percent of the world’s bird species. Already we have lost 159 beautiful songs forever to date, the dodo being the most famous. In the UK, where I am, there are currently 70 species in the Red List.2 This number has grown from 36 when the list first started in 1996. One major reason for the threat to bird populations is the loss of their natural habitat, forests. Forests are being destroyed due to agriculture and logging.
In my previous post on trees, I wrote about how trees provide shelter, food, and other services. These services benefit various species, including birds. However, birds are also important to the life of trees as they:
- disperse their seeds far and wide
- provide nutrients/natural fertiliser from their droppings, known as guano
- protect the trees from pest infestations
- and even act as pollinators
It is a symbiotic and harmonious relationship. Beyond these important functions, birds also bring joy to us through their songs and antics. For example, I was speaking to my neighbour the other day and we were remarking on how smart crows are. We both enjoyed watching their antics. In fact, bird watching as a hobby can be traced back to as early as the 18th century in the UK.
Engaging the senses
Trying to imagine a world without bird songs is terrifying for me. I can hear the defeaning silence, broken only by the shrill, ugly sounds of human activities. However, it is not just the songs that will be lost. Our connection to the air and sky will also vanish if birds disappear from the earth. I will explain later why birds connect us to the air and sky. This will be in the reflection part of this post.
Sounds
I am a latecomer to the world of birdwatching. I am still learning to discern the different bird species from their calls and songs. I have met many people since coming to the UK who can tell the exact species when they hear the songs. Recently, I was introduced to the Merlin app which helps identify bird songs and that has been a game changer. In the video of the forest path below, the app helped me identify at least ten different bird species, amongst them being:
- Eurasian wren
- Eurasian blackbird
- Common chiffchaff
- European greenfinch
- Common chaffinch
Even in my little garden and around my neighbourhood, I have heard many different birds. I’ve heard the blue tits, great tits, robins, magpies, and starlings. There was even one night when I was shocked out of my bed by the call of an owl. I couldn’t tell what owl species it was but it was definitely an owl. I have heard it a couple more times since. I think it might be nesting in the tiny park nestled in my neighbourhood. I have been privileged to nap to the sounds of sandpipers and oystercatchers on the beaches of the outer Hebrides. Another time I was serenaded to sleep by song thrushes and meadow pipits in Glen Affric.
One of things I have observed over the years is that the birds are not shy to use their voices. The smaller they are, the more vocal. Just take the example of the wren. I have heard them often enough but have only managed to sight them this past June. They are tiny balls of feathers! I could not spot their legs at all. Birds of prey tend to be silent. So, it was such a pleasure to hear the buzzards in the hills near Dundee recently.
I like to record bird songs on my walks. I have uploaded one such recording on YouTube. To listen, click on the link below. Can you tell how many bird species there are in the sound clip?
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=FD0MQ7mTRZg&list=MLPT
Sight
It is easy to hear bird calls and songs. However, catching sight of them is much harder, except for common birds like pigeons and crows. Even some of the common birds are sometimes quite elusive, like the wren is for me. I think the difficult part of birdwatching for me is cultivating the patience to wait in order to spot a bird. However, I have been blessed to have witnessed some interesting moments. Like this little treecreeper crawling up a trunk. I first spotted it as a slight movement in my peripheral vision.
Or the heron preparing to fly.
Or the bathing jackdaw. Apparently, he thoroughly enjoyed his bath that he hopped back in several times. He stopped only when he heard people coming.
While I have not been able to record it, I have seen kestrels hovering high above before diving in for the kill. And was surprised at seeing short-eared owls flying past me in the daylight. I had assumed that owls tend to be nocturnal. Apparently not short-eared owls. There is something majestic about golden eagles circling ever upwards on the thermals.
Thinking about my encounters, while it was meant for me to experience them, I needed to be prepared. By being prepared, I mean that I was also present in the moment to notice them. For example, I was conscious of my peripheral vision. I was also mostly silent such that they were not startled by my presence. In many of these encounters, I was only metres away from the birds. Any movement or noise from me would have disturbed them.
Even if you cannot leave the city, you can still observe birds. I have bird feeders on various branches in my garden. Water fountains are also dotted around, where I can observe from my kitchen window. My cat and I spend many hours watching the antics of the various birds that come to visit. He sits on his window perch and I use the binoculars while sitting at the dining table. As a friend said, it is our live TV feed.
Some of the birds are quite polite and take their turns feeding. But if one of them takes too long, it would be lectured at by the others. Others, like the wood pigeons, would come and bully other birds away. I like watching the crows. They are clever at finding ways to get the feeder to drop to the ground. Then they can eat all of the food at once. The starlings tend to come as a group. They especially like to come after I cut the grass because that reveals the worms and slugs to them. Similarly, I saw the blackbird come and turn over the fallen leaves to hunt for slugs.
At the start of this autumn, honking calls made me look up from my gardening work. The distinct V-shape formation flying south east greeted me as the geese start their winter migratory journey. Just as I watched, the lead bird dropped back and the geese rearranged themselves before reforming the V formation. It was likely that the lead bird was tired and needed to be replaced. It reminds me of the great distances some of these migratory birds would have to travel. In my native country of Singapore, we often get these visitors who need a lay-over and a pick-me-up before continuing on their journey.
Touch
Most of my experiences with birds were from a distance. That is probably for the best. The opportunities I had to touch them have been traumatic circumstances. My first memorable experience was holding my pet budgie as a young child. It escaped and never returned. The budgie was soft and warm in my hands. So its escape was a distressing experience. The impact it had on the other budgie, who died soon after, scarred me for life.
The times I have held birds since have been to rescue them. A few years ago, there was a fight between a juvenile crow and a wood pigeon. The pigeon pecked and injured the crow’s head. After I broke up the fight, I tried to stem the blood and smoothed the crow’s feathers. It was too traumatised to move until the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) came to fetch it. On other occasions, I have also had to rescue the birds that my cats caught over the years. Some birds were able to fly away once I released them. Others succumbed to their injuries. They were usually trembling with fright as I held them. The last instance was a juvenile pigeon who died shortly after I rescued it from my cats early this summer.
Nowadays, I have taken to just picking up discarded feathers. It is less traumitising for me than holding the birds. The feathers themselves are a work of wonder – light with a hollow centre, their wax coating making the feathers water-proof.
Reflecting on birds
In Surah Al-Mulk, God said
بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ إِلَى ٱلطَّيۡرِ فَوۡقَهُمۡ صَـٰٓفَّـٰتٍ۬ وَيَقۡبِضۡنَۚ مَا يُمۡسِكُهُنَّ إِلَّا ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ بِكُلِّ شَىۡءِۭ بَصِيرٌ (١٩)
Do they not observe the birds above them, spreading their wings and folding them in? None can uphold them except (Allah) Most Gracious: truly it is He that watches over all things. (19)
Birds are creatures of the air. They are one of three animal types that can truly fly. Their flight has inspired us over thousands of years to seek mastery over the air. From the story of Icarus who flew too close to the sun, to the short flight of Abbas Ibn Firnas in 875 in Cordoba. Many people tried to design flying machine such as Al-Jazari a 12-century engineer and Leonardo Da Vinci durimng the Renaissance.
The key to understanding the power of flight is in understanding the relationship of the birds and the air. God reminded us that He alone holds them ‘aloft’ through His complex laws of aerodynamics. Today, we have harnessed our understanding of aerodynamics to fly. However, flight accidents remind us that we are not in control. Instead, like the birds, we are also dependent on God’s mercy in flight. This point was brought home when Singapore Airlines encountered turbulence in May 2024. It resulted in several deaths and injuries. It is predicted that more violent turbulence is likely to occur due to climate change.
Unlike us, birds’ ability to fly independently and gracefully is a gift from the Most Gracious, ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ. He it is who holds them aloft and guide them. They are more adaptable when they encounter turbulence, adjusting their flight paths. Of course, this cause them to expand more energy in their migratory journeys. They are more likely to need to stop for ‘refueling.’ If the habitat is unsuitable where they had to stop, their chance of surviving will decrease. A poor food source worsens their survival odds on their long journey. Thus it is on us to provide these suitable habitats for them.
The ultimate truth is that, like the birds, we are in need of God’s Mercy. He provides our sustenance and protection for we are still part of the creations of The Most Gracious. That’s the central message of this surah. Are we self-deluded to think that we are secure in our travels? The very news of the airplane crash highlights that this sense of security is an illusion. Similarly, in the pandemic, we are confronted with the security of our health and of our food supply. The reason behind the panic buying and the empty supermarket shelves is exactly that we suddenly feel insecure about what we’ve taken for granted. Can we then still deny our reliance on The Most Gracious?
In Surah An-Nur, God said
بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ ۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱلطَّيۡرُ صَـٰٓفَّـٰتٍ۬ۖ كُلٌّ۬ قَدۡ عَلِمَ صَلَاتَهُ ۥ وَتَسۡبِيحَهُ ۥۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمُۢ بِمَا يَفۡعَلُونَ (٤١) وَلِلَّهِ مُلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ (٤٢)
Seest thou not that it is Allah Whose praises all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate, and the birds (of the air) with wings outspread? Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise. And Allah knows well all that they do. (41) Yea, to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; and to Allah is the final goal (of all). (42)
I love to listen to the sounds of nature and in particular, the birds as they remind me of God. From the above verse, I am keenly aware of being in the gathering of praise and prayer. Each one of the birds is praising Him in their own way as do I in mine. That is a reason for the peace I always feel when listening to bird songs. It is the main reason I think that a world without bird songs is terrifying. To me, a world without praise and prayer is devoid of blessings. Perhaps that is why the world is in environmental crisis. As the global bird population falls, the skies are growing quieter.
Therefore, it is on me to help the birds and nature to thrive, increasing the amount of praises and prayer. In my own personal capacity, I have been volunteering with several organisations on nature conservation. Most recently, I have been volunteering with Trees for Life, planting trees in the highlands. The aim is to restore the forest cover in Scotland. The more we restore their habitat, the more the birds will thrive. I have also donated to and raised funds for rewilding efforts. Beyond these things, I am aware of the little things I can do. Like making my garden more bird friendly. As friendly as having cats visit and my cats being outdoors, that is.
Practice Session
As mentioned in my post, ‘Framing the Project Part 2,’ the following are some of the techniques you can use to build your connection with nature based on the three principles which I reiterate:
- being still/silent
- observe
- reflect
Being Still/Silent
‘In the combinations and balance of sound and silence, we begin to reconnect to speaking from a place of truth as we reconnect to the voice of our fitra.’ The video below is a lovely description/reflection of the need for silence in our lives to reconnect to our inner voice and as part of healing.
So find a comfortable spot where you can observe the birds. It can be outdoors, under a tree, or indoors near a window. I also encourage you to have a small notebook to jot down what you observe. Try not to use the phone or other gadgets to start with as the tech can be a distraction. Prepare yourself mentally to be silent (and still if that is possible).
Observe with your senses
Next, choose a sense that you want to practise with first. Once you have become practiced with one sense, add another sense. Continue adding until you are observing with all your senses. As you expand your observation of birds and their effects on you, you will be able to sense their movements. These exercises will help you build an intuitive awareness of birds and their connection to yourself and your surroundings. Let’s explore a few of these senses together.
Sound
How many bird sounds can you hear? What different songs can you detect? Which directions are they coming from? As you continue to observe more frequently in the same place, do you hear the same songs? Or are there new bird songs?
Observe too how the songs change at the different parts of the day. What songs can you hear in the early morning vs afternoon vs evening? When do they fall silent?
How does listening to different songs affect you? What about the absence of the songs?
Sight
Stillness is key to actually sighting birds until they get used to your presence. Someone advised me to keep sitting in the same spot over and over again, being still most of the time. I did that under my apple tree in the garden. Over time, the birds understood I was not there to disturb or harm them. Now, there is usually the little robin that follows my movements. He is probably looking for opportunities to get any worms I might unearth during my gardening.
Use your peripheral vision to detect movements. You will be surprised at how much you can ‘see’. Birds are sensitive to your head movement so if you see them through your peripheral vision, don’t turn your head. What movements can you detect? Do you see a flash of colour?
If you do want to observe them undetected, invest in binoculars. I have a cheap one on my dining table for watching the birds in the garden. How many different birds can you see? How do they interact with each other? How do you describe their flight? How do you feel seeing them fly?
Sense of direction
Birds are great navigators and have brilliant sense of direction. They can teach us too. Observe the direction they come from and where they are heading to. E.g. the geese that I saw were flying towards their winter home. So I know they were flying South/South East.
Also noticing the way they fly gives you a sense of the currents in the air. If they are gliding, they are riding on the current. The direction they are moving is the direction of the current. If they are flapping, then they are fighting against the current.
As you notice these things, you are building an internal map of the local environment.
Reflect
As I sit observing the birds, there are questions I often ponder upon. Take the time, whether during the observation practice or after, to ponder on your own questions. Sometimes these questions can lead to others. If so, let yourself follow the paths of thought they take you on. Reflecting on them will only deepen your understanding of the interconnectedness of the natural world with yourself.
Some questions to start with:
- What is your relationship with the birds?
- Why do you feel what you feel about them?
- How do the birds affect you and your surrounding?
- In your own faith tradition, how are the birds portrayed and why?
- What impact, if any, do you have on the birds and why?
One of the considerations I have debated on is whether by giving them bird feed, I could be harming the birds. Am I changing their behaviour and survival instincts? There are no easy answers, with pros and cons. For me, my instinct is to minimise my impact on them.
As a permaculture practioner, my garden is home to many different insects and other creatures. These and my fruit trees/shrubs provide the birds with natural source of food. I also have fountains around the garden for water. I still have the bird feed out, but they are to enable me to watch the birds.
- https://datazone.birdlife.org/2024-annual-update ↩︎
- list of endangered species in the UK ↩︎
Leave a comment