On Flying – or Being a Bird

As a human being, in order to fly one must either board a plane or fit themselves with an apparatus made of nylon and launch  from a great height in order to soar.
I prefer to fly in my dreams for there lies true freedom.

I recall participating in a blog hop thing quite some time ago where I had to answer the question “If there was one super power you could have, what would it be”? If I remember correctly, I believe I answered that I would love the ability to fly.
However this could prove difficult for me seeing as I have a fear of heights. Part of this, is because more than once in my past I have toyed with dark thoughts and thought how easy it would be to just step out off a cliff face or ledge and leave my life behind.
These days, I do okay with heights if I know there is something between me (like heavy duty glass or the outside of an airplane) and the drop below.
But I admit that there is something appealing about the joy of soaring above everything. I often wake from the dreams (where I am able to move my arms and harness my thoughts to find myself lifting off ) with feelings of sadness that it was only a dream and I have awoken to reality.
Perhaps that is why I am drawn to birds.
I love to photograph them. Or to simply sit, watch and listen.
Happily for me, the Garden Gnome is also a bit of a bird lover. As are his parents and siblings.
I admit that there are some birds I struggle to like some days; like the Butcher Bird who killed my canary last week when he was put outside to enjoy the last of the winter sunshine.
But I can understand that it was only acting within it’s nature. After all, you don’t get a name like “Butcher Bird” for no reason. Nor would you have a hook on the end of your beak designed to tear prey apart if it wasn’t in your nature to kill. These negative aspects aside,  the bird has a beautiful song.
The day after my canary was killed, this same bird (I could tell from the colour of its plumage) came and sat on the water feature outside my window. My window was open and it was not more than a foot or so away from me. I said to it “Are you the one who killed my canary”? It hopped a little closer to me, cocked it’s head, whistled and flew off. I admire it’s bravery, if not the fact it killed my pet.

This video is a little long but is lovely to listen to.

Now where was I?
Oh yes, birds.
We are blessed to be visited by many different types of birds in our garden. They sqwark, croak, whistle, dance or chitter away whilst the Diva sits inside on her stool with her nose pressed up against the window making a funny mewling type of noise. Some, like the Willy Wagtail like to tease her and dance and chitter away out of her reach.
These birds make me laugh as they wag their tails to-and-fro. I used to tell the Tween when she was younger that their chittering sounded just like them saying “Look at me. Look at me”.

The Garden Gnome puts seed out for the birds in the birdhouse he made. It sits proudly in the back yard and is visited by all manner of birds – Rainbow Lorikeets
Galahs
and others including King Parrots and Rosellas. We have a nesting box attached to the garage and there were Rosellas looking at it as possible future lodgings a couple of weeks ago but we don’t think they’ve been back. Maybe there was too much interior design work to be done.

My in-laws feed birds every morning and afternoon. They are visited by a huge collection (up to a hundred some days) of birds including Rainbow Lorikeets, Green Lorikeets, galahs, cockatoos, pee wees, magpies, doves and wood pigeons. They used to put seed out on their verandah for two pair of King Parrots but one day the birds decided to destroy the chair pads, clock and place mats on my mother in-law’s outdoor setting so she stopped feeding them. However, that doesn’t stop them coming back to visit each day.
This cheeky male King Parrot was visiting the other day, and decided to come down to where we were sitting in the yard and attempt to cajole us into coming up and feeding he and his mate. We put seed down where we were but they felt we needed to come to them and not the other way around. He made us laugh when he hopped over onto the upraised garage door and hung upside down peering at us. I wasn’t quick enough with my camera to capture that unfortunately.
My MIL also feeds the Magpies. There are two mothers who come to visit. Magpies are also meat eaters, so they enjoyed some of the roast beef we had left over from lunch.
From time to time at our home, we are visited by Kookaburras as well. They sit on the clothesline and look down upon the raucous lorikeets with a disdainful eye.
This photo wasn’t taken in my backyard though 😉 When they are in my back garden they suddenly turn camera shy. lol
The galahs aren’t camera shy though.
Of course, I can’t talk about birds without mentioning the swallows. I haven’t seen them for several months now but the weather is warming and I hope that means their imminent return. I love watching them darting to and fro and catching insects on the fly.
Yes.
I love birds and I envy them their freedom to soar.
It must be such a liberating experience.

Still, I’d much rather have a roof over my head to protect me from the elements and food in the cupboard and fridge that I don’t have to forage or depend on others for.
I wonder if I could still have all that AND the ability to fly?
I guess I can.

Tonight.
In my dreams.