I’ve been wondering about whether or not to feed the birds. The owner of our rental house took care to point out to me the bird feeder hanging from a pine in our front yard, showing me how you can see it perfectly from the living room, and telling me about the joy of watching a list of species frequent the feeder.
When I ask Nature about putting something in the feeder, most of the time the answer is “no.” Occasionally, when the answer is “yes,” I’ve been led to put out tortilla chips, homemade bread, rice crackers, and tortillas. The chips were a hit with the jays, and the finches and sparrows cleaned up what fell from the feeder.
The last tortilla went untouched for several days – long enough for me to ask if Nature wanted me to throw it out. A storm passed, and the jays came for it.
Recently, I received an email from a gardener who has attracted a bunch of mice and rats who clean up what falls from her bird feeder. Although she doesn’t like having them around, they tell her they’re quite happy and feel very safe in her yard.
It seems to me that as co-creators of our gardens we’re working with Nature to establish a balance – or rather to re-establish balance. We humans are great at wrecking balance – especially in nature. What we don’t understand is that in any system, like our garden, when we touch one part, we touch all parts.
When we feed the birds, we change life for those birds; we invite creatures in to clean up; those creatures brought other creatures with them, like cats; the lives of all were changed. The bird feeder supports more birds than Nature would. Those extra birds need a place to live. All of this changes the community of birds. Nature then works to balance the imbalance we created.
I’m not saying we never will feed the birds. I am saying we need to check with our partner, Nature, before we do. Perhaps it’s a hard winter or some birds are passing through and need a boost. We may not know why Nature gives us the go-ahead to feed the birds – or why Nature says “no.”
By the way, I love the presence of birds in my garden. They bring joy and life. So when I tell Nature my desires for my garden, I always include my desire to create a safe haven for birds. I don’t need twenty million birds to feel their presence – a few will do. I like them to be around so I can see them and connect with them. And there are certain kinds of birds that seem to attract me, so I ask Nature to make sure we have some of those.
And so I find myself planting in ways that provide food and cover for birds. Working with Nature, we support the bird life I asked for and we do it in a balanced way. Nature takes care of it for me.
If joy is what you’re looking for – if connection with God is your deepest desire – if you want to know how things really work – the answer is in the garden. Or in the woods. Or in the field.
The message I got yesterday surprised me. At first, I just didn’t believe it. But I checked and rechecked, and I think it’s something worth passing on. Nature Spirits have no imagination.
Whoosh! Let’s pause and reflect on that awhile!