“I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance than I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn.”
– American essayist, poet, philosopher and naturalist, Henry David Thoreau
PIGEONS, sparrows and crows of various sizes come to my house every morning. They like to perch on my front gate as they wait for my two dogs, Cookie and Bailey, to finish eating from their bowls.
As soon as my dogs stop eating, the birds will swoop down and eat the food scraps left in the bowls.
As they do so, the birds will chirp and chatter loudly to warn other birds to stay out of their territory which contains food resources.
I used to dispose of the food scraps left in the bowls immediately after my dogs had finished eating. I would throw the food waste into the rubbish bin. But recently, I decided to leave the food scraps in the bowls and let the birds eat them. Why? It is because I think we should not waste any food including food scraps.
On the internet, there are websites that discourage people from feeding dogs’ food to the birds primarily because of health risks from bird droppings which contain bacteria and parasites.
According to one website, these bacteria and parasites may pose a health risk to dogs and potentially humans. It adds that avian influenza (bird flu) is also a concern as pets can contract the HSN1 virus through contact with infected birds, their droppings or contaminated food/water sources. But there is no avian influenza in Sarawak.
How long have the birds been coming to my house for the food scraps? I think they have been doing so for many years. But I only noticed them recently.
Now, why do we only notice certain things as we age?
I guess we begin to notice different things as we age due to a combination of physiological changes in the brain and sensory systems and psychological shifts in our goals, priorities and accumulated life experiences.
My elder sister, Ah Moi, who visited me recently, was surprised to see the gathering of these feathered friends every morning at my house.
“You should feed them some cooked rice,” she told me. “If the birds come to your house, it is a sign of good luck.”
Personally, I welcome good fortune and new opportunities in life. So, I have been feeding these feathered friends cooked rice and even cat food of a particular brand ignored by my fussy cat, Mimi.
Yes, in many cultures, birds are considered a sign of good luck, a symbol of new opportunities or a messenger of divine blessings and good news.
I usually fry the leftover rice I have in my pot but I don’t mind sharing them with my dogs, cats and feathered friends.
Do you know that the pigeons, sparrows and crows only come to my house once a day? After they visit me, I wonder where do they go. Where do they live and do they live far? Are they reared by people or are they wild?
One thing’s for sure. They are very wary of people and will fly away if I try to approach them.
Some of the pigeons that come to my house are very big. The sparrows are very small while some of the crows are big and others small.
My cat, Mimi, is very naughty and often tries to catch them, but they are too fast for him.
Once, after late-night work, I was surprised to find a pigeon trapped under one of my dogs’ bowls. After I freed it, it flew blindly around the gate for a while before perching on it.
Since it was dark then, I wondered if the bird could fly home. It sat for a while on the gate before disappearing into the night. I wondered whether it came back to my house again the next morning or subsequent mornings.
Birds also visit my backyard garden every day. But I do not know what type of birds they are and whether they belong to the same group that like to perch on my front gate.
I know there are birds in my backyard garden every morning because they make a lot of noise. I suppose they must be busy, helping to control the insect and rodent populations there.
In my backyard garden, I have a few plants that I did not plant, like the wild gooseberries and the turkey berries. I know the birds have spread the seeds by eating the fruits elsewhere and depositing the seeds in my garden through their droppings.
I am grateful for these two plants and call them “blessings from God”. I eat the wild gooseberries raw while I use the turkey berries, which are small, pea-sized green fruits, in my dishes.
I have never seen the birds that visit my backyard garden at the crack of dawn. Maybe one day, I will see them and thank them personally for the gooseberries and turkey berries that flourish in my garden.
My friends, be kind to the birds that visit your house or your garden. They are vital to the environment because they help in seed dispersal and pollution, act as natural pest and scavenger control, and serve as important indicators of ecosystem health.
If the birds on my gate or in my backyard garden were to disappear, I will be the first person to miss them.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at adelinel888@gmail.com.
