A couple of years ago I was working in my backyard. I was standing on the corner of the bricked area next to our Koi pond trimming some plants we have in pots when a bird flew down and landed at my feet. It was a ring-necked dove. The beautiful bird began walking around a couple of feet from my feet. It definitely landed there deliberately and seemed to want something. So I struck up a conversation.
I talk to animals and plants all the time. Like my morning songs I wrote about in an earlier blog, I thought everybody does this. But I understand now that most people don’t. And like my morning songs, I’ve done it for as long as I can remember. I enjoy it. I think they do as well. See what you think after you have read my story.
So after some casual conversation with the dove-like. Hi. How’s it going? And What have you been up to? I asked it, (I don’t know if it was a male or female dove). Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat? I decided the answer was yes, and told it I would go get some birdseed and be right back. I thought as I started to walk away it would fly away, but it didn’t. So I went to the garage and got a handful of birdseed and walked back to where the dove was. I had fully expected it to be gone at this point, but it wasn’t. So I put the seed on the ground next to it and it started to eat. While it enjoyed the breakfast I brought I continued to carry on our conversation. Granted somewhat one-sided. The bird was really hungry and after a while, the food was gone. So naturally, I told it I would go get some more. Again when I came back the dove was still there and began eating the seed I put next to it. After a little more conversation it flew up to a nearby tree branch and looked down at me for a little while, which I took as its way of saying thank you, and flew off.
I was very touched by this encounter…
A couple of weeks later a similar thing happened to me. This time it was a Robin. I was walking up the brick steps to our Koi pond when I saw a Robin sitting on the wooden fence a few feet away. So, of course, I struck up a conversation. Hey. How’s it going? Why are you still here? Your buddies flew North a couple of weeks ago. And then, of course, I asked if it was hungry. Would it like some worms? Deciding that it was, I went to dig up some worms in the yard expecting that when I got back to the bird it would be gone. It wasn’t. So I set the worms down on the brick steps and stood back a few feet. The Robin flew down and ate the worms. I did this several more times over the next couple of days and then it was gone. Hopefully able to meet up with its flock up North.
The American Robin
I think you will have to admit these were two fairly remarkable interactions with wildlife. I have always felt a connection to Mother Earth and our fellow inhabitants, plants and animals. I feel very strongly that we are all in this together. That we need to look out for one another. That as human beings we have a responsibility to do all we can to help preserve and protect our Mother Earth.
“Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.” Carl Sagan
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