Lucky visits from local wildlife

Several times recently I have enjoyed the company of local bird friends and no matter how many times I’ve seen a willy wagtail or a fairy wren or a parrot, I just have to point them out to anyone around me.

I think it’s part of the sort of ‘touch grass’ vibe that’s going on.

Sometimes life can feel so monotonous. Wake up in a house, go in a car, go to an office, go in a car, go home.

So when I’m driving to work and see a big fat parrot chowing down on a sunflower, I get a little excited.

Or when I’m at a café and a blue fairy wren gets up close and personal, I have to interrupt my sister and let her know he’s there.

It’s a bit of nature I wasn’t expecting to see today, a little nature that could have easily gone unacknowledged.

It’s important to take a quick second to appreciate the world around us.

Especially here in Shepp.

I’ve always been a country girl and couldn’t ever imagine myself in the big smoke; it’s quite claustrophobic.

Gum trees replaced with skyscrapers, parrots replaced with pigeons and grass replaced with, well, fake grass.

We shouldn’t take for granted the little pockets of the natural world around us.

There’s a magpie on my street.

I hate magpies.

But this one is different. He’s only got one leg.

When I first moved into my new home about four months ago, I felt a bit out of place.

Everything was new and exciting but therefore uncomfortable.

But as I looked outside at the magpie across the road, hopping about on his one leg, I found a comfort.

I just enjoyed watching him peck around at the nature strip and hobble away when a car drove by.

We also found that a bird had made a nest in our garage.

That also gave me comfort.

I’ve seen this little bird grow and hang around and search for food in our garden.

I know it sounds silly, but these bird friends I’ve made have brought little bits of happiness to my day.

It doesn’t have to be birds on your street, but I think it’s important to have little things in our lives that bring a little enjoyment.

What I’m trying to say is to find your little bit of happiness and cherish it.

But there are bonus points if it’s birds.