Each Day I Wake Excited for the Birds to Break Into Song
Nature prompt: Breathtaking experiences of bird watching
Yesterday I was preoccupied with my pranayama, a breathing exercise I engage in for two minutes before my morning meditation. The slow inhale/exhale through alternating nostrils relaxes my mind before I close my eyes to meditate for twenty minutes.
However, this morning was different.
I spotted a bird on the olive tree outside the lounge window I hadn’t seen before around our home. Our cottage is built on a slope, giving an elevated view of the upper branches, but it was difficult to pinpoint the bird’s identifying features.
I interrupted my pranayama to grab my glasses within reach on my writing desk, reckoning that if I went to fetch the binoculars from the kitchen, the bird would have already flown!
I took slow steps closer to the window for a clearer view. Now three hid in the camouflage of leaves!
One flew away as I watched, enabling me to make a mental note of the tail feathers. From what I saw of the remaining two, I knew these were rain birds — the Burchells Coucal, a member of the cuckoo family!
