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It wasn’t until last summer that I started to enjoy watching birds. There are a couple of reasons for this. We moved to a house with more trees, and I retired. Now when I am outside I am often looking up from my writing and watching the birds.

There are three bird feeders on our porch and two outside our kitchen window. The birds eat from the bird feeders on the porch even when I am sitting in a chair only three feet away.

Some days when I am watching them I think about how we could all learn from them.

I know not all birds are like this, but the birds I watch in my backyard have patience, politeness a sense of community. Some of the birds also share their gifts. I love to listen to the beautiful song of the cardinal. I also like the song of the mourning dove. It reminds me of my childhood. I remember hearing a mourning dove sing on summer days as I played in the backyard. At night I can hear an owl as she sings a comforting lullaby.

I first observed the patience and politeness of the black-capped chickadees. When they are hungry, they sit patiently and politely on a small branch near the bird feeder and wait for another bird to finish. They don’t seem the least bit annoyed about having to wait their turn. They are like those people who you meet in the grocery store who say, “You can go ahead of me in line because I am not in a hurry.”

There is another bird in my yard that I am very fond of. She might be a sparrow. She is a very good mommy. She built a sturdy little nest right outside our front door. She knew what she was doing. The nest was built on the top of a decorative wreath. The overhang protects the nest from all types of weather.

The woodpeckers and the cardinals seem to have a strong sense of community. They stick together. Sometimes they eat together or sit together in the trees. They seem to look out for each other just by being observant of their surroundings. It reminds me of all the nice people who open doors for me when they notice that I can’t open doors.

I hope you have some birds to watch in your yard. They will bring you joy.