In the morning, a while after waking, I take myself to the kitchen with a desire for coffee and biscuits. And so, I take my small cafetière from the cupboards, along with my favourite mug, a plate for the biscuits, and the bag of coffee grounds. I plate up some biscuits first, then I move onto the coffee.
First of all, I make sure everything is clean, no old coffee grounds lurking in the press. Then I boil the kettle.
This process, teaches me patience. That good things can take time. And it gives me an opportunity to sit and watch the bird feeders in the garden. And that teaches me the value of just being, of watching quietly.
After the kettle boils, I pour the hot water over grounds in the press, and then I must wait for the coffee to brew. So, I take myself to the windows, and I watch.
Most of the time, it is House sparrows (Passer domesticus) that are out there, sometimes a whole quarrel of them. They have their little squabbles, figuring out between themselves which of them should get access to the suet balls, the coconut feeder, or the mixed seed. Some of their chirps and chattering reaches my ears through the glass. But they turn shy when they become aware of my presence, taking off into the ivy when they spot movement at the windows.
I try to tuck myself behind the curtain as much as I can but, because I love to watch, I can't stay completely hidden, and they are very good at recognising my presence.
When they flit into the ivy, I sometimes see one or two perched amongst the foliage. They twitter and call. Lookouts, I think to myself.
The Dunnocks (Prunella modularis) feeding on the ground, picking up seeds and bits of suet that has fallen from the feeders, are a little braver, it seems. They often remain, three or four of them, shuffling around on the grass even after the Sparrows have flitted away.
I can only imagine that they don't mind quite so much, my sitting there, on a chair in the window, watching them go about their business.
Now and then, a Robin (Erithacus rubecula) visits. A few Great tits (Parus major) or Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) might fly in too. These birds tend to fly in, take what they came for, and flit away again; little flashes of colour amongst the earthy browns and greys of the other garden visitors. But, colourful or not, they all make me smile, and I am grateful for their visiting.
After a few minutes, the kitchen is a warm embrace of that rich and dark aroma, promising a little comfort to come. That, and the twittering of the birds, muted by the glass and walls that separate me from the outside, create one of the most perfect moments of my day. It has become a routine, a ritual, that lifts me up, and sets me where I need to be for the day ahead. It's almost meditative.
The day might dictate that I am unable to head out, rambling a footpath or heading to a nature reserve, with things more mundane in the diary. But, on most days, I have those few minutes, between the kettle boiling and pouring the coffee into my cup, to sit a while and watch the birds at the feeders.
SAVE this post for later, to remind you that you can find a moment in your everyday. To remind you that these moments with nature and wildlife can be found just outside your window, and that it is a gift. That we can share our spaces with these wonderful animals, whoever the visitors outside your windows might be, if we make space for them.
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I write here because of my love and appreciation for nature and wildlife, and that is what I hope shines through to readers. So, I resist allowing ad space, because I want this space to be about the passion, and not about products. I would rather generate conversation than sales!
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