I like animals. More so, birds. I don’t usually make the effort to look out for or identify birds. But, if one flew in front of me or near me, it would make me smile and be happy.  

My husband and I have never been overly observant or curious. Of surroundings, people or animals.  We’d look/see and enjoy what’s around us. But, we weren’t spotters. This is true. On a holiday in New Zealand, we almost walked on a pod/herd of seals sunbathing on a beach. We didn’t quite see them. Maybe, because they sort of blended into the sandy seashore.

At home, my mum, despite her age and ailments, notices who’s wearing what especially if its gold jewellery. During one of the palliative care team’s home visit, my mum tried to alert me on the new jewellery worn by her doctor, who had recently got married. By the time I had deciphered my mum’s gestures, the young doctor had worked out the charade. She readily showed my mum her wedding ‘thali’ and gold necklace. I couldn’t/didn’t see. Maybe, because the jewellery was mostly concealed inside the collar of the doctor’s blouse. And, I’m not a fan of chunky, gold jewellery.

I think I might now be a little less oblivious of my surroundings. Especially when I’m in parks and nature reserves where there are more trees, greenery, animals, and a general sense of space and quiet. I seem to see and hear better. An irony as my hearing is less sharp and my eyesight is much poorer. Why? Maybe, getting out of the people-and-car-dense city atmosphere creates happy hormones. Maybe, being older makes me appreciate nature more. Maybe, reading and writing about awareness has helped me be more present in the moment. Maybe, as I make more effort to be aware/present, I can see and spot more animals especially birds in the natural habitat.

For sure, I’m not a birder or a birdwatcher. That said, I can now identify a few birds and recognise one birdsong. It was enough encouragement to build my own life list, albeit, less than 20. A life list refers to the number of species of birds one has seen/identified thus far.

I get excited every time I see a Green Lora. A vibrant yellow rather than green bird that usually travels in twos. I can tell apart a Collared Kingfisher from a Blue-Eared Kingfisher. I’ve seen the flight of the Painted Stork, Purple Heron, Cattle Egret and Great Egret. I am familiar with the Grey Bitten and Black-Crowned Night Heron – two birds that can hold very long static poses when they are catching fish. I can also identify Zebra Doves and Magpie Robins. Birds I already knew growing up include sparrows, pigeons, mynas and crows.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see the Green Lora flying with his/her partner, and finding rest stops in and amongst the many trees in the city. Swallows and/or swifts darting about like fighter jets near my balcony in the mornings. And, birds of prey, circling the KLCC park on weekends.  They are absent during the week. Maybe, too many cars and people. As for the birdsong, I recognise the distinctively loud Koel bird. He/she can be heard more often than seen almost everywhere in the Klang Valley.

It’s quite fun, this bird spotting. My late father-in-law knew his birds. He had books on birds that he used to refer to or share with us enthusiastically. Then, my husband and I, thought it was a nice hobby for him. Now, I half-understand the real deal twitchers that my husband and I have encountered during our walks along the meandering tree-lined trails up at Fraser’s Hill. This lot lug heavy duty cameras and binoculars, drive a long way, and wait patiently for birds to show up. Some actively hunt down birds, usually to add to their life list.

I know Fraser’s Hill is home to many species of birds. I didn’t know that the highland is a premier bird-watching destination in this region. And, it plays host to more than 250 species of wild birds. In November and December, migratory birds fly from far away northern Siberia in Russia and islands north of Japan to find new feeding grounds, and to escape the freezing winter. They hang around for a couple months in Fraser’s Hill, then migrate southwards to Australia and New Zealand. They return to the north in March and April when the weather starts getting warmer. Meanwhile, the Putrajaya Wetlands is home to over 2000 water birds from almost 200 species such as herons, storks and egrets. In 2020, the Eastern Crowned Warbler, Brush Cuckoo and Brown Wood-Owl were spotted during an inventory. Wow.

I won’t rush out to build my life list but I will surely enjoy the beautiful birds I see and discover along the way.