I heard a Magpie robin at day break in our garden, tunefully and softly singing in different pitch. It looked around in all directions and seemed to sing for a purpose!
That is a when I noticed a Pond heron in the meadow, still and alert, turning and walking in the direction of the Magpie robins' bird calls,
The Pond heron stayed looking and took small steps to move in the direction of the bird call.
While the Magpie robin was spotted on the same site at day break with its bird calls, the Pond heron was not a regular visitor to the garden.
It was the noise of a vehicle on the road which disturbed both of them to fly away.
I remember hearing from a keen bird watcher that some birds have a social purpose for their bird calls. Along with announcing its presence during the breeding season, some birds also seek for reciprocal bird calls to develop a sense of 'belonging' to other birds in the territory.
The high pitched short and long bird calls of a Magpie robin have one distinctive feature. It moves its body and lifts the tail when the bird call is long and loud. Such long and loud calls are interspersed between short calls. There is a tonal variation during its duration for such calls. Even birds have a language of communication in their calls. The loud and long bird calls are an invitation for other birds of the same species. The tuneful calls of male birds can entice a female bird during the breeding season.
What surprised me on this occasion was the way a Pond heron tuned in to listen and pause in stillness, to respond the bird call of a Magpie robin.
When we listen attentively to others, it can have a calming effect if our focus is to receive what is spoken. The hurry to respond by gathering our thoughts, is what makes us loose the intent and content of what was spoken.
Listening is an active process to receive the person who is speaking and what is being spoken.
I came back from this educative lesson, thinking how much more am I to grow to be 'quick to listen and slow to speak' !
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
Great observation indeed by someone who already practises it. I have personally learned to be a listener from you by observing your body language and communications during your consultations with anxious parents about their children. You had a way to also shift your attention to watch the child's movements and behaviours by not shifting the focus from the conversation. Thank you for this lesson 🙏
ReplyDelete