As my project submission date inches closer, under pressure, I do everything (else) in my capacity but my project work. Birdwatching by the window is on top of the list.

When it’s time for me to sit down and work on my project, I have this sudden urge to look out of the window and appreciate the nature. A surge of feel-good hormones like a forceful sea wave supports my cause. And then a Blue Tit sitting on a naked Maple tree, right outside my window, catches my fancy.

Blue Tits, my favorite neighbors 

I scheduled four hours for my project work and one hour for birdwatching. And I spend four and half hours birdwatching and half hour worrying about “not being able to do my project”.

Suddenly, I find every move the Tit makes very fascinating. I spend nearly ten minutes admiring the Tit hop from one twig to another, tilt its head slightly left, right, up, down and then take it from the top. It does this sequence a dozen times while carefully selecting the next twig to hop on to continue the sequence another dozen times. And I’m totally in awe. I find what the Tit does more meaningful than what I’m doing. I could watch this Tit’s performance, even with greater awe, all day, so long as it keeps me away from work.

Around where I live, there is a fair bit of bird activity. There are Great Tits, Blue Tits, Sparrows, Starlings, Redstarts, Warblers, Finches (I saw Bullfinches, Common Chaffinches and Goldfinches), Magpies, Pigeons, Seagulls, and some other birds I’m yet to id.

To keep me going I even bought some bird-feed, despite the comments I earned from my flatmate “if only you exuded the same passion for your project”.

Blue Tit 

So, I found a decent spot and placed the bird-feed. I sat right next to the spot and waited nearly half a day for “a” bird to come and feed. Not even a microorganism showed up.

Like a cat, I changed the feed’s location a few times to make it comfortable for me. You know, where I can clearly see the birds feed while I’m at my desk. I finally found a perfect spot for the feed: on the windowsill, right next to my desk.

I sat at my desk motionless and watched the spot through the corner of my eye, for in the distance a Tit is suspiciously eyeing both the feed and me-sitting like a Hawk on a weird perch. The Tit mustered the courage and made for the feed.

I jumped in excitement, for I’m a proud mommy now. That was the last time I saw a bird close to the feed for weeks.

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Some pictures I got after a couple of weeks of birdwatching by the windows

Great Tit

A Bullfinch couple was building nest right under my nose. Can you see the nest material in his beak?

Sparrow

Blue Tit

Blackbird

Common Chaffinch Male

Common Chaffinch female

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