Vicky Feeding Wendy
Wild Bird Talking 
April 2008              WingedHearts.org              ISSN: 1835-6362


Developing understanding and friendship with wild birds

 

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In This Issue:



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From Maggie's Perch:~

Welcome to this Special Edition of  Wild Bird Talking

Falling leaves from the mulberry tree announce the start of autmn in our yard.  Maggie and his friends have again been warning us of snakes and chasing them out of our yard.  We can never thank the birds enough for being so watchful and caring.  They never leave us unaccompanied in the presence of danger.  

The relatively cool summer was filled with surprises.  A pair of rainbow-lorikeets whom we had talked to on one of our walks in spring decided to join their magpie friends in our yard one afternoon, clearly making the old adage 'bird of a feather flock together' a thing of the past.  Not wanting to be left behind, the even shier scaly-breasted lorikeets called me out for a photo-shoot some days later. A willie-wagtail , decided he needed to see us for himself and promptly dropped by next morning.  We are very grateful for his gift as we needed a good set of photographs of these birds to accompany his feature in one of our stories today.  Dimpy, our two year old pied-butcherbird has returned from a long trip.  We thought he had left home to make his own way and are delighted to have him back.

Not least our hearts go out to all the peoples and creatures affected by the floods, snow storms and drought in the regions around us and the rest of the world.

We are delighted to bring you an issue on the fascinating subject of Communicating With Birds.  First, are two real life stories about messages from wild birds that are bound to make you shake your head in amazement.  The first is a true 'Believe It or Not' story of direct communication from Clara de la Cosmos.  The other is about the intuitive deeper understanding of the messages from well known Aussie bush writer Brian Taylor's forthcoming book  'A Swag of Memories' due to be released in August.  Many thanks to publisher Matthew Kelly from Hachette Australia for letting us bring you this scoop.

We are also deeply honoured and privileged to be able to bring you the works of two leading animal communication experts.  Author of 'Animal Voices', Dawn Baumann Brunke's  pointers on 'How to Communicate with Animals' paints the broader picture to complement our series on Communicating with Wild Birds.  

How can we communicate with a sick bird and find out what is really ailing them?  Animal Reiki practitioner Irene Brock describes one of her powerful experiences as a student with an owl-finch and introduces us to the work of leading Animal Reiki Teacher Kathleen Prasad.  We are very grateful to all the authors for their wonderful  contributions to our magazine.  

We hope you enjoy the selection of articles and stories and you are welcome to forward it to your family and friends.

With Warm Wishes,


From Maggie and me,

Gitie

   Gitie's photo    wbt-logo

   


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Ask A Bird For Help

by Clara De La Cosmos 

 
This is a "Believe It or Not" story (no doubt), but very true.  I can't tell you exactly why a small group of birds and I became friends -- suffice it to say I rescued one of them and, after that, they started hanging around... so I started talking to them.  I have always had a "way" with animals -- nowadays, people would say I'm a "pet psychic" or "animal whisperer".  At the time (early 1970s), I was exercising my psychic abilities for the first time in public... and, I had an amazing group of friends that let me. 

Understanding birds was new to me.  Cats, dogs, old - birds, new.  How was I to know if I really understood them?  Then one day, one said he wanted to land on my finger.  (Hmmm!!!!!)  Assuming I understood him correctly, I put my finger out.  In seconds, he flitted on to it for half a second and was off.  I tried not to shout with amazement, but wanted to.  There were other such incidences and, fortunately, my friend Mike witnessed many of them.  ...That's not the most amazing part of my story. 

I was coming home from work, one evening, and some friends were in the parking lot (of our apartment complex), looking for a bracelet Shelly had lost.  It was one she almost-always wore and had a lot of sentimental value.  They (seven of them, in final number) had been looking for forty-five minutes or more (Shelly longer).  I was just going to set my purse inside my apartment and then come back out and look.  

(But) then, I noticed a little bird, a friend -- he came very close.  I had this overwhelming urge to ask for his help.  I carefully chose my words and asked Shelly if she'd mind if I asked the bird if he had seen it.  She probably thought I was crazy, but said "no, go ahead!"  I turned to the bird, fluttering close to me, and said "Have you seen a bracelet?  Shiny", making a motion to my wrist.  The bird said "Sure!" and flew to the top of a sign and said "follow me".  I told Shelly and a few others I was going to follow the bird.  I was already planning how I was going to get out of that embarrassing dilemma if the bird didn't lead me to it and I wanted to keep my friends.  I was going to tell them I felt I could understand them, I had Mike as a witness to that, and "who knows?" (I felt it was worth a try!  Oh, yes, then (too) they all knew I had "gifts".

I then walked toward the bird.  He flitted a short distance to another sign and stopped.  I followed.  Next, the bird went a longer distance, to a tree across the main parking lot entrance way.  I was getting a little shaky ("maybe I should go back and apologize to my friends"), but decided not to give up hope and follow the bird.  I could see, in looking back at my friends (and some strangers helping) that most were giving up, at least for the time-being.  The bird then flew to a sign, looking down, and said "There!"

I walked quickly to the sign and, low & behold, a bracelet was there!  I first thanked the bird, then I picked up the bracelet.  It was as Shelly described.  "Shelly, I think I found it!"  She looked a little hopeful.  I held it up so it could glitter in the evening sun.  We ran and met each other and, sure enough, that was her bracelet!  She said there was one night, about a week prior, when she had to park in that other lot because ours was full.  She thanked me & was so happy!  I was blown away a bird found it and knew, the whole time, where it was!  How wild was that!!!!???  It took about seven minutes from the time I got home until the bracelet was found.

Like I said, this is a "Believe It or Not" story, but I truly believe animals can help find missing people and things and, perhaps, help solve crimes.  Natalie Halloway? 

Honest, this is a true story. 


About the Author:

Clara de la Cosmos lives in Florida, USA and originally told this amazing story on her blog.  I had no problems believing it and I knew that our readers would want to hear about it too.  Clara kindly agreed to share her story.




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The Birds Are Telling Me..
(an excerpt from Banjo's Friend )

by Brian Taylor

[Editor's note:  This is a beautiful story about the deeper messages that birds bring.  Banjo's Friend is one of the stories from Brian's new book 'A Swag Of Memories'  to be published in August by Hachette Australia.]

One morning at home there was an absence of the customary twittering of the willie wagtail that frequented our garden (click here for Aussie Bush legend Note).  I went outside and there he was, most forlorn, sitting on a twig, no busyness about him at all.  I mentioned to my wife how strange the bird looked, then it came to me: something had happened to Nan.  Sure enough we got word that the old lady had just died.

At that time there was a drought on, and we were going downhill fast. We cut our stock numbers down and couldn't plant any crops as there was no soil moisture.  The wind had blown away the soil we had cultivated the previous year. There was no hope anywhere in sight. In the previous twelve months we had only seen seven inches of rain. Trees we had planted were under stress, and even mature trees in the forest were shedding their leaves and dying. Some jovial people in the forest suggested I don my corroborree hat and do a rain dance.

In a state of desperation I took the suggestion seriously and confided in the memory of dear Nan Ruby.  Armed with a corroborree hat and with the kindness and sincerity of that wonderful lady sitting easily in my heart. I sat down on a log and seriously contemplated the drought. A process of inner questioning and of enlightenment concerning the well-being of all living things is the best way I can explain what took place in my mind.  That old Aboriginal woman led me by the hand through her spiritual land of the soil, the plants and the trees and the birds. Of course she had taken me there before, but only a little at a time.

Now every living thin was screaming for rain. The drought had a stranglehold, wringing the life out of the tiniest creatures.  The spirit of the land was in jeopardy.  On my journey of awareness I seemingly visited all those plants, and the tiniest microbes in the soil, and the roots of the trees on the fruitless search for moisture in the arid soil.

Sometime later I managed to walk away in a somewhat dazed and exhausted state, and put the corroboree hat back on its pedestal in the house.  To clear my head, I decided to go for a walk about the property.

'S'truth, it was dry.  I stopped my wanderings and leaned on a crusty fence post, noticing that the lichen had dried, died and curled like the end of a Bedouin's boot.  I stood there with an empty feeling and looked to the sky in faint hope of something, anything at all.  There was nothing; just the blue overhead, the haze in the distance and the godforsaken parched earth.  Not even a Molly hawk; just a swirl of dust as a willy-willy went past, grabbing a roly-poly bush and tossing it into the air in a dizzy spiral.

Pondering on the good seasons, it did seem a long time since I had seen swallows, those gallant little warriors, herding flying ants.  At storm time, ants would sprout wings and go skywards in countless numbers to migrate and form new colonies.  They relied on strong air currents to assist in their migration, and rain-softened earth enabled them to build quickly their new habitat.  This was feast time for swallows who,  in their great numbers, would muser the masses of flying ants and then feed on the wing, in the same manner as do sharks on bait fish in the sea.  The closer the weather was to rain, the heavier the atmosphere became, bringing the swarming ant masses closer to the ground.  Thus the magnificence of this natural phenomenon became even more apparent.

Leaning on the post, I mused over times past when I had witnessed other battles of the sky.  From a wisp of white (known to the Aboriginals as 'jombok', from 'jumbuck'), seemingly organic storm clouds grew like mushrooms, then became dark, ominous, cold and frightening.   Great thunderous claps belted around inside these billowing tinderboxes, then the most amazing drench bucketed down seemingly from nowhere.

How long now had it been since my shirt stuck to my shoulders and the water ran down my face?  Brand spankin' new water, straight from the heavens you could say.  The only consolation that came to mind was that as each day wore on, we were one day closer to a rainy day.

A movement on my hand drew my attention.  I looked down on a most inquiring wingless ant.  He was busy negotiating his way around, in the faint hope of finding something useful.  I rolled my hand over to accommodate his busy search.  We had nothing to offer the other, only life itself prevailed, and I guess that to the ant at least was hope.

The it happened.  Away to the west I saw a flight of pelicans.  'Funny' I thought, 'this is not pelican country.'  As I watched they lost height and came down towards me.  There were eleven birds, and they looked so graceful, holding their wedge formation and gliding so effortlessly.  They came down even lower, and to my amazement did two complete circles right above me.  They were so close that I could almost see the expression in their eyes; then they flew away eastwards.

As I watched them go, something grabbed me, and I said 'Thank you old Aboriginal lady for talking to me'.  I now knew that in eleven days' time we would get two inches of rain.  Just for a joke I told a near neighbour that I could get him two inches of rain in eleven days and that it would cost him a thousand dollars an inch.  Sure enough, in eleven days we got the rain, two inches of it, and not predicted by the meteorological people I might add!

In the early morning following that deluge, I went down to the creek, just for a look.  I heard a horse tread on the sodden ground, and saw a horse and a rider coming down along the track.  The sun was rising through the trees behind him, presenting a golden silhouette.  Even before he pulled up, I knew who it was; it was the 'old fellow'.

Reg Williams sat his horse like no other that I have known.  Confidence, balance and patience; his tranquillity was emphasised by the collected stance of his grey Arabian.  We exchanged greetings, and the he said he was heading for the stock route, where he reckoned some of his cattle would have gone, as all his fences at the creek crossing had been washed away.  we discussed the wonderful rain, and I couldn't resist telling him that I had contributed in a way.  My old friend sat and listened attentively to my story.

This great old bushman had known Ruby Bond, and over the years at Rockybar Station he had employed members of her family as stockmen.  The glint of his stock-knife handle, held in place on a well-plaited belt, reminded me that he and Ruby - arm-in-arm, shoulder to shoulder - had once cut a cake at a multicultural dinner with that same stock-knife.

Ruby Bond
Left:  Nan Ruby Bond






Right:
The author  
with Reg 
Williams (R.M.)
Brian-n-Reg
 
That was a special day, 8 August, the day I remember as the anniversary of the death of Albert Namatjira.

When I had concluded, Reg just sat on his horse, fingering the reins and nodding his old brown hat in acknowledgement; I would like to think in approval.

Since that time, whenever or wherever I see pelicans, there is an opportunity for me to say, 'Hello. Hello Nana Pelican'.  


Australian Bush Legend:

The Willie Wagtail is recognised as a special messenger bird, good - bad or just a bad gossip! "_never discuss personal business within their earshot, for it will not remain confidential."  Even so the bird has a certain implication.


About the Author:

Brian Taylor is an experienced bushman, having worked as a stockman in outback Queensland for most of his working life.  In recent years he has authored several books. Two of his bestsellers are 'The Brumby Mare' and 'The Moonlight Stallion'.     
 Brian-horses


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How to Communicate with Animals

by Dawn Baumann Brunke

This article is  an excerpt from Awakening to Animal Voices and gives an overview of the 'basics' of animal communication. 


There are many ways we can tap into our natural abilities to communicate with animals. No matter which method you choose, however, it all boils down to one thing: relationship. Any form of meaningful communication involves relating to others (as well as ourselves) in an honest and authentic manner. One wonderful benefit to communicating with animals is that it requires us to feel our deeper relationship with all life and share ourselves from that connected state of awareness.awakening-book-image

As we open to the energy that flows through all life, we open ourselves to instant relationship. We know that we share a common awareness, for we feel it moving through us, connecting us with every other living being. Our ancestors embraced this connection and communicated fluently with the natural world. We also carry this ability within ourselves. Remembering it is simply a matter of shifting perspective, deepening, and tuning our consciousness.

Different Ways to Sense the World

Llama, dolphin, eagle, cat; human, salmon, whale and rat: underneath our fur or feathers, skin or scales, we are all composed of the same universal essence. Still, obviously, we are different. Among the 1.5 million species on earth, each of us has a unique vibration in form. Our perceptions of the world are unique as well, based on our sensing mechanisms (fingers, whiskers, trunks, antennae) and the ways we use those sensing mechanisms to know the world.

Many animals have completely different sensing mechanisms than we do. Consider the bat’s ability to echolocate; the squid’s undulating propulsion system that powers it through water; the snail’s intimate sensing of the world through the length of its body. Part of the adventure in communicating with other beings is learning how to open our feelings, thoughts and senses in ways that can be mutually understood.

So, How Does It Work?

As we relax into a quieter, more tranquil state of being, our logical mind slows down. Our habitual ways of seeing the world shake loose and we become more receptive to perceiving in different ways. As rigid thoughts of how reality “should be” release their hold, we shift to a more intuitive state of being, one that is quite naturally capable of telepathy.

The word telepathy comes from tele, meaning distant or far away, and pathy, meaning feeling or perception. Telepathy is feeling from a distance, or perceiving from far away. It transcends the way we normally understand time and space. With telepathy, we can expand our awareness to connect on inner levels with any other being. With telepathy, we rediscover our fluency in the universal language.

We can receive telepathic information from animals in many different ways. This may include visual images (pictures or movies within the inner theatre of the mind); inner feelings (an ache in the body that corresponds to an animal’s body, or sensing emotional feelings, such as fear or excitement); inner hearing (what an animal is hearing, or hearing an animal’s thoughts within the mind); or intuitive flashes (a sudden “knowing”). We must then translate these inner impressions in ways that we (and other humans) can understand.

Many people discover that they have a preference for one mode over another. If you are very visual, you might get a lot of pictures, and you may want to practice sending images in return. If you like to talk and share ideas, you might sense an inner translation of words and sentences that resembles a dialogue. Over time and with practice, you might strengthen all modes and discover that you enjoy communicating in a variety of ways.

The Basics: Four Easy Steps

The basics of communicating with animals are not that different than communicating with people: you share an interesting thought or observation and await a response. This may excite you to share something else and listen eagerly to a reply. And so it goes, back and forth, an exchange of information, ideas, thoughts, laughter, sadness, joy and delight. What could be more natural?

1. Attuning
Attuning is about moving deeper in relationship, intimately feeling the bonds connecting you and your animal friend. To begin, get comfortable in a quiet place. Close your eyes, breathe deep and allow the center of your being – your heart, your mind, your soul – to connect with your animal. Feel your animal connecting to you. Sense the flow between the two of you. Don’t force the situation; rather, let it unfold. Your only goal is to quiet yourself and welcome the adventure.

2. Stating your Intention
As you sense a deeper connection, address your animal directly, just as you would a good friend. You can use words (I’d like to talk to you) or images (picture yourself conversing) or feelings (feel your desire to communicate). Or, use all three (say it, picture it, sense it). In truth, it doesn’t matter so much what you do or how you do it since this isn’t about doing, but about being. Allow yourself to be in that place that genuinely desires to connect. It may help to first express your feelings – I’m nervous about this, but I’d really like to talk to you. Or, you might ask a question: Is there anything I can do for you? What’s it like to be you (a dog, a cat, a horse)? Do you have a message for me?

3. Receiving
Here’s where you let go of everything and open up wide for the answer to come. Let go of all your thoughts about what could happen or might happen. Sshhh … how can you hear when you are listening to doubts or planning what to ask next? Be open, relaxed and receptive. Welcome any and all feelings, sensations, images, words, smells, tastes or combinations thereof. Don’t judge what you get or wonder if it is “right.” It is what it is! Allow the full message to come to you before you send a second message.

4. Closing, Giving Thanks
As my wise, old dog Barney used to say, “Good manners never go out of style.” Offer warm feelings and thanks as you end your conversation. By thanking your animal, you acknowledge your appreciation and make first contact something you can build upon. Remember to thank yourself too! Thank your intuition and desire to connect with life in a deeper and more meaningful way. Even if you don’t sense anything, thank your animal and yourself for a very good start. Really mean it, too, because although it may seem that what you are doing is little, what you are being is deep and expansive and very great indeed.animalvoices-book-image

Sharing the Mystery 
Every conversation, just like every relationship, is about sharing our own inimitable take on the mystery of life. There is no “one way” for everyone. There is no “right way” either. We each need to find what works for us.

As you continue to tune into animals, remember that the universal language is one we already know and share with all life. Since it has been awhile that humans have used this language in a conscious way, we are a little out of practice. So be kind to yourself. And celebrate yourself, for in learning how to remember, you are helping the entire world to remember too!


In the next issue Dawn writes about  Reconnecting With Animal Wisdom which looks at how communicating with animals will change our world.  


About the Author:

Dawn Baumann Brunke is the author of  Animal Voices and Awakening to Animal Voices and also  Who Lives Here?, a series of animal and nature books for children.  Dawn has also published short stories in LadyBug (for children), Leviathan (anthology), and Rosebud (literary quarterly), and has won both Grand Prize and Editor’s Choice in the Alaska Daily News/University of Anchorage creative writing contest.  Dawn has published over three dozen interviews, including talks with natural medicine writer Dr. Andrew Weil; former NASA consultant Richard Hoagland; noted speakers Gregg Braden, Patricia Sun and Caroline Myss; and many animal communicators. 


 
Dawn Baumann Brunke



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Communicating With Wild Birds - Part 1

Making Friends With our Feathered Neighbours

by Gitie House

Wild birds love communicating, but tend to fly off in a flurry at the first approach if they aren't used to humans, or don't know you, or are feeling shy. A little perseverance and some techniques can easily help foster a rich and rewarding friendship with our avian neighbours. Nowadays some birds let us gently urge them to come out of hiding and pose, such as the koels, and still others calls us out and introduce themselves, like the scaly-breasted lorikeets, galahs and the rosellas. Once the birds got used to us talking to them, we found that they changed their attitude.  Even after being away for months from the yard, they suddenly drop by, call us out, happily sit in the open, enjoy the attention of the camera and keenly socialise with some of the other species.

Engaging a new bird's interest takes a bit of time in the beginning. With practice one can win them over and develop a two-way friendship. Other birds watch this developing social interaction with interest from a distance and, seeing the special relationship between you and other feathered friends, sooner or later, one by one, they, too, start to venture forward to forge their own friendship with you. The main steps involved in getting acquainted are:  
  • Talking in a way that makes the bird feel comfortable
  • Listening to the bird's message
  • Understanding the bird's actions
  • Responding in a way that builds trust
  • Making time for new friends   

Sweet Talking A Bird


There are several ways to attract a bird's attention. You can call out to them gently and talk to them when putting out the water and food. Or you can talk to them while they are eating and drinking. Or you can just talk to a bird directly. If this is your first time, and the bird is not used to talking humans, the bird may retreat in shyness, fly off, or pretend to have not heard you.  Do not feel discouraged or dissuaded by any of this.  Just wait for the next opportunity and try again.  As the bird becomes familiar with the sound of your voice, recognises your body language, gains confidence that you are not a threat, they will begin to relax and interact more positively. Remember that your conversation is a new development for them and they have to figure out how best to respond to your initiative.

What can you talk about to a wild bird, you ask.  Well, you can talk to them about the weather. For instance, do they like the sunshine, or the rain? How did they cope with the storm? Hope they are not too hot and dry or cold and wet.  Whatever is happening around you, is affecting their lives too. You will be surprised as to how much they do understand.  In the beginning they will not know your words, but regardless, they will follow the tone and they will begin to recognise care, concern, and interest. Wait for a reply for a short while, even if you don't get one, before returning indoors or changing your activity. What that does is signal to the birds that you are looking for a response from them.

Talk softly and gently so as not to scare the bird. Modulate your voice and try to speak with a slight lilt. Birds translate our words into the closest sounds in their own language and the languages of other birds. In their minds they try to repeat the sounds, even those who are not good at mimicking other creatures. Do not blindly imitate their sounds directly.  Our aim is to communicate with the bird meaningfully, not to send them wrong messages or to trick them in any way.  Some of the sweetest sounds they make may mean something entirely different in their language.  For example, I noticed even with Maggie and his family that  some of their disputes, and their sounds for territorial boundaries sounded very sweet.  If I repeated these sounds when talking to any of them, I would be telling them to keep away! Quite the reverse of what I wanted.  It's best to talk from your heart in your own language, and let the birds learn to intuitively understand your intentions from the sound of your voice and to feel the warmth of the love you radiate.

Talk to them even when you think they are not listening.  Birds have the advantage of being able to keep an eye on the going-ons over vast areas from their perches on tree tops, roofs, lamp posts and the like and being ever alert they are always on the watch for what others in their neighbourhood are doing. The bird community is also very interactive, they follow each other's dialect and will spread the message.  

The rainbow lorikeets in 'Surprise Guests Drop In For A Spot of Lunch', for instance, were not always that bold. The first time they visited our yard was in early spring last year. A soft rustle from behind made me turn my head for another look at the mulberry tree.  In the early spring the tree looks very attractive, speckled with black ripe berries and red new berries against the bright green leaves.  I heard a soft movement and suspected there was a bird hiding in its depths checking out the fruit. But I couldn't see him at all.   'Hello', I said softly,  'I can't see you. Where are you? Are you enjoying the fruit?'.  I heard no sound or movement. I waited a few seconds before continuing, 'Will you come out and say hello to me?', 'Thank you for coming, I would really like to see you. Will you let me take a photo?'.  The silence from the other side was broken by some more rustling, and a head popped out briefly.  It was a lorikeet. I said, 'Thank you for showing your self. I love you. Can I get the camera? Please stay for me.' When the bird stayed for a while and had become accustomed to me, I went in, got the camera, focussed the lens and continued requesting the bird to come out as sweetly and gently as I could.  To my amazement, the bird did come out and let me take a shot before disappearing into the leaves again.  I asked the bird to come out again and the bird obliged me once more, this time showing me that it was a rainbow lorikeet. Then I realised that these were the same birds that we had spotted on a tree along the road on one of our walks, and we had talked to them and thanked them. And they had been watching us for months talking to the magpies and were delighted when we showed an interest in them. It gave them the courage to overcome their shyness and come to see us instead.

In the next part, we will look at the Art of Listening to the Birds, in more detail as there in lies the secret of transformation.  
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You can send your questions on any of these steps to editor@wingedhearts.org and I will do my best to answer them.




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Reiki with an Owl Finch

By Irene Brock

For one of my homework assignments for Kathleen's  Animal Reiki Workshop, I decided I would like to work with a wild animal. Since I live in a well populated area, I headed for the zoo. I arrived shortly after they opened and the weather was windy and cold so I knew there would not be many people around yesterday. Even though I had visions of working with a big animal like an elephant, lion or giraffe, I tried to keep my mind open to working with any animal that would like Reiki. I decided I would walk most of the zoo and then return to the animal that I felt was most open to me.

I never really considered myself a “bird person” and if I’m short on time I normally walk right past the aviary at the zoo. But in trying to be open to all the animals and also due to the cold wind, the aviary was the first building I headed for. I enjoyed viewing the locals through the one way glass as they helped themselves to the large bird feeder outside and I considered returning to the bird rescue area that held injured birds that can not be returned to the wild. I continued wandering from room to room and I entered a room that contained about 3 dozen small exotic birds with many patterns and colors that were free to fly around the room as they wished. It was not the happy, chirping birds or the brightly colored birds that caught my eye. Sitting, almost hidden by plants, along the walkway was a small, brown and white bird that sat quietly with her (for some reason I felt it was female) feathers all ruffled and breathing heavily and looking quite distressed. I watched for a few minutes as her mate repeatedly approached her and tried to encourage her to feel better. Realizing that I had just gotten to the zoo and had many more animals to visit I left the aviary and continued on.

After an hour or so and visiting many other animals, I could not stop thinking about the little brown and white bird that was so distressed and clearly not doing well. owl-finches So I returned to the aviary and found her about a foot from where I had left her before. Her mate continued trying to encourage her to feel better. It was such a tender, loving gesture to watch it made my heart hurt for them. I knelt down (I felt I needed to get as close to her level as possible) and began offering Reiki. The room was really soaking up the Reiki energy and she turned to face me. After a short time she hopped on a branch right in front of me and it seemed like we were old friends. She began closing her eyes for longer and longer periods of time. As I sat there, with her at eye level, I saw something that I could not see with her on the ground. There wrapped around her legs was a clear, thin nylon strand that she could not free herself from. At this point I didn’t know if I should go for help or continue the Reiki that she was enjoying so much. I also noticed that many of the other birds were moving closer and closer to me and becoming quieter and quieter. It was such a beautiful moment I just had to continue the Reiki for a while longer.

Finally, I couldn’t stand knowing what her problem was and not helping her so I went for help. After making another pass through the aviary and not finding a staff person, I left the building and headed for the nearest concession stand. I explained what I had found and asked the worker to call a zoo keeper. The teenager went to his manger and asked him to call a zoo keeper and the manager nodded in agreement. I returned to my little bird who had now taken shelter in the corner of the room as far away from the increasing foot traffic as she could get. Her mate was still by her side. After waiting another 20 minutes I grew impatient and returned to the non-emotional teenager who again turned to his manager and ask about the zoo keeper. The manager said he had forgotten to call and acted like I was bothering him but reluctantly pulled out his radio when he realized I was not just going to go away again like I had the first time. After watching him until he made the call, I then returned to my little bird. Within 5 minutes a zoo keeper was there looking for her and I pointed out the distressed Owl Finch in the corner.The zoo keeper agreed she was not doing well.

She went for a net and entered the exhibit through a back door which was right next to my little bird. The bird was startled and flew (which surprised us). The zoo keeper called for help and within a couple minutes someone else appeared. With all of us looking, we discovered my little bird and her mate sitting side by side in the shelter of the bushes at our eye level and there shining in the sunlight was the nylon string that bound her legs. Since well over an hour had passed I left my little bird in the hands of the skilled zoo keepers who promised they would take care of her. Of all my lessons I felt this was the most surprising, powerful and rewarding of all.



About the Author:

Irene Brock is a Level III Reiki practitioner residing in southeastern Michigan. She also holds certificates as a Spiritual Healer, Lightworker and Feng Shui consultant. Irene is an independent distributor and educator for Nature’s Sunshine vitamins and herbs. She may be reached at healingforce@yahoo.com.



About Animal Reiki:

"Reiki is a gentle, non-invasive holistic energy healing system that yields powerful results for the body, mind and spirit. When using Reiki to heal, the practitioner channels healing energy through her hands to the client either directly or from a distance. It is ideal for use with animals because with Reiki, the animal controls the treatment, accepting Reiki in the ways that are most comfortable. Easy for people to learn and use, Reiki can do no harm, even when used by the most novice practitioner. It always goes to the source of the problem and always works for the highest good."   Kathleen Prasad, Animal Reiki Source.
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About the Teacher:

Kathleen Prasad is a Reiki Master Teacher and the Founder and Director Animal Reiki Source.  A life-long animal lover, Kathleen  has been practising Animal Reiki since 1998 and teaching full-time since 2002.  Kathleen has co-authored the book Animal Reiki: Using Energy To Heal the Animals in Your Life and her work  has been featured in many publications including Animal Wellness Magazine, Natural Horse Talk Magazine and Dog Fancy.  Kathleen has taught Reiki to staff of many organisations such as Guide Dogs for the Blind, The Elephant Sanctuary and the BrightHaven Healing Arts Centre for Animals.  

Kathleen Prasad 


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Coming In The Next Issue:

We are very excited to be able to bring our readers a collection of articles and stories from around the world. The next issue features contributions from:  
  • Reconnecting with Animal Wisdom - How Communicating With Animals Will Change Our World - by Dawn Baumann Brunke
  • Communicating with Wild Bird - Part 2 - The Art of Listening to the Birds
  • Award winning Australian Wildlife Artist Janet Flinn will share tips on sketching birds  

Would you like to submit an article or your bird story?   We would love to hear these stories and share them with others.  Please drop us a line at: editor@wingedhearts.org

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Many Thanks To our Readers:  Many thanks to our friends and readers from around the world who have visited the site and sent us their comments. We are very grateful for your support, and interest.
Blogs - Comments: Share your ideas, opinions and bird friendships by adding comments to the blogs.  



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Every season brings new activity and the stories are never the same, so keep an eye out for the new releases with announcements in the blogs.  For info on the photographic equipment we use and featured books/dvds visit:  Resources

Tell us your favourite stories and characters by posting comments in the blog or by sending an e-mail to me at: editor@wingedhearts.org


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