Thank you for sharing this, Claudia—I can totally relate to your story. When I was young, all I really noticed were seagulls who had perfect timing when it came to pooping on me, and Arctic terns dive-bombing me. My grandparents also had a grey parrot, and I remember being pretty scared of it. It would spit its food through the cage, and I didn’t know what to make of it at all.
But like you, it wasn’t until I was going through one of the hardest mental and emotional times in my life that I truly began to see and appreciate what was around me. Nature became this quiet, grounding support, a place where I could breathe and find some calm. And those songbirds… they’ve been a lifeline for me. Their songs, simple as they may seem, have brought me so much peace when I’ve needed it most. Just hearing them can shift my whole mood, reminding me that even on tough days, beauty and hope are still out there. It’s incredible how nature can offer those little glimmers of light when everything else feels heavy 🐦🌲🌊✨
Thank you so much for sharing your own journey, Dana! 🩷 And it's so interesting to see the similarities between our experiences. You also put it so well in saying "Their songs, simple as they may seem, have brought me so much peace when I’ve needed it most. Just hearing them can shift my whole mood, reminding me that even on tough days, beauty and hope are still out there." - it's exactly how I feel, too! Wishing you lots of glimmers when needed! 🐦🌈✨
I'm so glad you were able to spend time in your garden getting to know your surrounding birds. I was always fascinated by those thick field guides and folks who checked them off or when bird watching. They're amazing creatures and fascinating to observe, indeed! 🐦🐦🐦
Haha, I won’t be turning into one of these birdwatchers who check off birds in thick field guides. I'm so not a list or achievement person any more. 😄 I just enjoy the presence of birds and try to learn a bit more about them. So fascinating! 🐦
Oh that book sound right up my alley, I'll have to check it out. I love birds for all the same reasons you mentioned. They live out their entire full lives among us, and often we're completely unaware of them, but they are such clever creatures. We're going into autumn here in NZ and the birdsong is changing now, a little quieter but still full of variety.
I really enjoyed reading about your bird connection 💚 So lovely!
I have also grown to love the birds around me. Hearing their songs make me feel so much better and relax my nervous system. I especially love the black bird who wakes me up every morning with a stunning melody and the starlings make my heart skip. The birds taught me how to stop and listen. Noticing them on my walks always makes me smile even on difficult days 💚 the soundtrack of the birds in spring at the moment is so mesmerizing. So much love 💚
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it! 💚 So lovely to hear about your bird connection as well. I can relate so much to “noticing them always makes me smile even on difficult days”. Yes, spring is so joyful for a bird song lover, isn’t it? The chorus seem to grow every day, I love it! Wishing you a lovely spring! 💚
Oh this is lovely Claudia. Like you, I'm very new to noticing the birds. They really are so fascinating! Luckily substack has some wonderful people who write about the birds too. And yes, the Merlin app, so invaluable!
"Something was there the whole time, but you didn't notice it. And then when you do notice it, suddenly everything changes and you wonder how on earth you could have missed it before. (And how you ever got by without it)." 🙏❤️
I totally agree! I love the birds in my garden, there’s always birds to see and to hear, even in winter. More and more now spring is coming. In about 2 months in the early mornings it’s like I’m living in a rainforest or on a tropical island….
This is so lovely. We used to get lots of birds in our garden but now we have two cats, they don’t visit as often. 😂 I miss watching them - they were so sweet flitting about. Once, we had a baby blackbird that flew into our window. We took it to a local vet to try and save it but it died and I was distraught for days. The mother used to sit on the fence and call for her baby and I used to cry every time I saw her. 😢
Thank you for sharing this, Claudia—I can totally relate to your story. When I was young, all I really noticed were seagulls who had perfect timing when it came to pooping on me, and Arctic terns dive-bombing me. My grandparents also had a grey parrot, and I remember being pretty scared of it. It would spit its food through the cage, and I didn’t know what to make of it at all.
But like you, it wasn’t until I was going through one of the hardest mental and emotional times in my life that I truly began to see and appreciate what was around me. Nature became this quiet, grounding support, a place where I could breathe and find some calm. And those songbirds… they’ve been a lifeline for me. Their songs, simple as they may seem, have brought me so much peace when I’ve needed it most. Just hearing them can shift my whole mood, reminding me that even on tough days, beauty and hope are still out there. It’s incredible how nature can offer those little glimmers of light when everything else feels heavy 🐦🌲🌊✨
Thank you so much for sharing your own journey, Dana! 🩷 And it's so interesting to see the similarities between our experiences. You also put it so well in saying "Their songs, simple as they may seem, have brought me so much peace when I’ve needed it most. Just hearing them can shift my whole mood, reminding me that even on tough days, beauty and hope are still out there." - it's exactly how I feel, too! Wishing you lots of glimmers when needed! 🐦🌈✨
Wishing them to you also! ✨✨✨
I'm so glad you were able to spend time in your garden getting to know your surrounding birds. I was always fascinated by those thick field guides and folks who checked them off or when bird watching. They're amazing creatures and fascinating to observe, indeed! 🐦🐦🐦
Thank you, Lani! 😊
Haha, I won’t be turning into one of these birdwatchers who check off birds in thick field guides. I'm so not a list or achievement person any more. 😄 I just enjoy the presence of birds and try to learn a bit more about them. So fascinating! 🐦
Oh that book sound right up my alley, I'll have to check it out. I love birds for all the same reasons you mentioned. They live out their entire full lives among us, and often we're completely unaware of them, but they are such clever creatures. We're going into autumn here in NZ and the birdsong is changing now, a little quieter but still full of variety.
Thank you, Sophie! The birdsong in NZ must be stunning, so very different from Germany. I can only imagine! 😍
I've enjoyed your bird stories over at your blog, and I am deeply impressed that you have a beautiful, clever parrot. Wow! Give my love to Croky!🦜😊
Croky loves the birdsong too 😁
I really enjoyed reading about your bird connection 💚 So lovely!
I have also grown to love the birds around me. Hearing their songs make me feel so much better and relax my nervous system. I especially love the black bird who wakes me up every morning with a stunning melody and the starlings make my heart skip. The birds taught me how to stop and listen. Noticing them on my walks always makes me smile even on difficult days 💚 the soundtrack of the birds in spring at the moment is so mesmerizing. So much love 💚
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it! 💚 So lovely to hear about your bird connection as well. I can relate so much to “noticing them always makes me smile even on difficult days”. Yes, spring is so joyful for a bird song lover, isn’t it? The chorus seem to grow every day, I love it! Wishing you a lovely spring! 💚
Oh this is lovely Claudia. Like you, I'm very new to noticing the birds. They really are so fascinating! Luckily substack has some wonderful people who write about the birds too. And yes, the Merlin app, so invaluable!
"Something was there the whole time, but you didn't notice it. And then when you do notice it, suddenly everything changes and you wonder how on earth you could have missed it before. (And how you ever got by without it)." 🙏❤️
Oh, that's lovely, someone else who is new to noticing birds and loving it! 🐦😍
Thank you for reading, I'm glad it resonated! ❤️
Have fun birdwatching! There's so much to discover! 🪶🦉
Maybe these things find us at the right point in our lives. 😊
So agree with you!! I love Merlin App - massive game changer and love watching the birds, makes me so happy
Thank you! That's so great to hear! 🐦😊
Same, same, same!
So pleased you're liking the Merlin app - it's really helpful to me as well.
I totally agree! I love the birds in my garden, there’s always birds to see and to hear, even in winter. More and more now spring is coming. In about 2 months in the early mornings it’s like I’m living in a rainforest or on a tropical island….
That sounds so lovely!!
This is so lovely. We used to get lots of birds in our garden but now we have two cats, they don’t visit as often. 😂 I miss watching them - they were so sweet flitting about. Once, we had a baby blackbird that flew into our window. We took it to a local vet to try and save it but it died and I was distraught for days. The mother used to sit on the fence and call for her baby and I used to cry every time I saw her. 😢
Cats have that effect on birds, don't they? 😅 But two cats, that's just wonderful! 🐈⬛ 🐈⬛ 🩷
Thank you for sharing your story. This is so sad! Heartbreaking, really! I would have cried, too. 😥