The call of the birds!

Thursday 21st January 2010

I wake up every morning to the sound of birds twittering outside my window - yes real twitters - not the social networking kind you get on the internet, but the call of real birds - the robin chats, the 'mossies' (swallows), the doves, the boubou, and many that I cannot name. They feed, roost, perch or breed in my garden and create for me a little piece of Eden to wake up to. Even those that fly over such as the Hadidas with their annoying calls give me a sense of paradise.

Although Johannesburg aspires to join the ranks of world class cities with its gridlock traffic problems, its continuous housing developments and its out of control crime - it is a city that is still in touch with nature with a number of bird sanctuaries that make it one of the best birding destinations in Southern Africa. Its grasslands, wetlands and nature reserves are ideal places for bird watchers with a number of top birding spots around the city of gold. But I don’t have to go birding to see or hear the birds - I have them right in my garden - and nothing is more relaxing than hearing the call of the birds - I only wish I could identify more of them by their call!!! This is definitely a positive factor for living in SA.......