Joy is an act of rebellion (Part 2)

Bunting and birdsong

There always seems to be something to do that’s more important than writing when I’m working from my home office. So here I am sitting on the covered terrace of the cafe at my local NT property, finding joy and calm as the wind blows the multicoloured bunting and the rain makes puddles on the path outside.

I’m looking back on the magical week we had earlier this spring, staying in a wooden cabin on the northern outskirts of Bath. Our accommodation was situated on the edge of dense woodland, surrounded by the joyous sound of birds. And being nesting season, the chorus was loud and strong as each species vied to mark their territory and competed to attract mates. It was a pleasure to wake up in the morning, step out onto the veranda and soak up the sound.

More than ever before, I began to wonder which species I was listening to. My husband enjoyed using the Merlin Bird ID app but, being a bit of a luddite, I had resisted it so far. But I could hold out no longer, and so followed some wonderous moments as the individual songsters were revealed to me one by one.

I was particularly taken with the vibrant and persistent call of the wren which belies it’s tiny size, and wouldn’t have noticed the shy skylarks in the meadow above our cabin if the app hadn’t picked them up on our morning walk. I was absorbed. I felt much more connection with the natural world around me and have continued to seek out these micro moments of peace since coming back home.

Just ten minutes spent listening to birdsong has been proven to promote relaxation and help alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. There’s even a new noun for the calmness one feels when listening to the chirping of birds; Seatherny (seth - er -nee) is derived from the words serenity and ather (feather).

We’re lucky to have several pairs of blackbirds that visit our garden and their song has been one of the easiest to learn. I can hear them from my home office window and feel great pleasure now from recognising their call and knowing that they’re going about their business outside without even looking out of the window! Another small act of rebellion in a world full of the worries of war, politics, inequality and greed.

The next step for me is to sketch ( or even photograph) some birds….. More about this in Part 3. I haven’t managed to get any decent bird photos to date so I’ll leave you with a picture of Honey on our morning walk ‘round the block’ at home and encourage you to seek your own moments of joy this week. I’d love to hear about them :-)