Blackbirds

A thought for the day for Black Cat Radio in April 2020

Did you know that in this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch the blackbird came in as the 5th most common bird in our gardens? Number 1 was the house sparrow.

I have a pair of blackbirds in my garden. They’ve been busy recently, building a nest. I’ve been looking out of the window and seeing them picking up bits of twig and flying back with beaks full of nest-building materials. They also spend quite a bit of time hopping around the lawn and pulling up worms. Apparently, blackbirds have such good hearing that they can hear the worms moving underground. They can also spot the ends of worms sticking up through the ground, so I guess they have good eyesight as well.

It’s a nice thing to see the birds busy getting on with things because it reminds me that coronavirus is not the only thing going on in the world. While we humans are keeping indoors or working bravely on the frontline, the rest of nature is quietly getting on with things like it always has.

The sun still rises and sets, flowers still grow and bloom, and creatures still make homes and raise young. We might feel like everything has changed but a look out of the window or keeping our eyes open on a socially distanced walk reassures us that some things are continuing unchanged. This can help us keep a sense of perspective on those days when everything seems dark and difficult.

I think we can apply this to our own lives too. Yes, much is very different from normal but there will be things for all of us that are still the same, which we can hold onto for a sense of normality and a break from the feeling of being all at sea. And my hope and prayer for you all is that you will find those things and be able to hold onto them.