A Sunday of Birds, Blooms, and Little Discoveries
An afternoon that felt like a hidden spring
The whole world is a series of miracles, but we’re so used to them we call them ordinary things. – Hans Christian Andersen
A beautiful Sunday! My kids and I had plans to go on a picnic at the abandoned golf course near our home. After lunch, we decided to head out at 3 p.m., once the heat wasn’t so scorching. While we relaxed and watched animated shows, I prepared the things we were bringing.
As I got ready, I heard a loud chirping from the aratilis tree in the backyard. I peeked over and saw a tiny bird hopping along the branches. I was amazed at how small it was. Its feathers were black with a white chest and a bright red spot. I looked it up online and even sketched it while waiting for the right time to leave.
Our plan was to hunt for fruits, but I also wanted to look for wildflowers and do a bit of birdwatching. It’s a little tradition I’ve kept every time we visit. We brought our sketchbook along for some quick sketches too. When it was finally time to go, we took the path to the star apple tree, snapping pictures of wildflowers along the way. The fruits, however, were still unripe, so we moved on to the guavas but they were unripe as well.
As we explored another area for guavas, I noticed a spot below us covered in fallen leaves. I suggested we check it out, and my kids were excited to go. On the way, I heard birds chirping from the trees. At the last tree, I saw a madre de cacao in full bloom. I immediately went to it, mesmerized by its flowers. It felt breathtaking, like being in a very special place. The blooms were everywhere, bright and delicate. I thought to myself, even though we don’t have a “spring” season here in the Philippines, this tree reminded me that the world is still blossoming all around us. Even the tree with all the falling leaves had tiny new sprouts on its branches. It felt like spring had quietly arrived in our own backyard, if only we take the time to notice it.
While I admired the tree, my children played with the fallen leaves. They found a dried fruit, and my eldest peeled it to show the seeds inside. It caught their curiosity, and soon all five were busy gathering and peeling the dried fruits, admiring at how they looked like tiny peas. The three kept going while the two little ones grabbed their sketchbooks.
Meanwhile, I waited quietly, hoping to spot birds. I could hear them chirping, but they seemed to hide among the branches. Then, one flew and landed on a small branch, giving me enough time to watch it. It eventually moved to the madre de cacao tree, and I found myself enjoying the sight of two beautiful things in the same setting…birds and blooms.
By almost 5 p.m., a group of birds landed on the grass, hopping and searching for food. The golden glow of the sunset bathed the scene, making the birds and the grass shimmer warmly in the soft light. I was happy watching them, though I hoped to see even more variety.
On the way home, a big blue bird fell from a banana tree, landing on the ground before flying to a mahogany branch. I quickly grabbed my binoculars. It was a thrilling sight, different from any bird I had seen earlier. Another bird landed nearby to the next tree, loudly chirping.
As we got closer to the lake, I focused my binoculars on the lilies resting on the water. A lighter blue bird landed on one of the flowers and stayed long enough for my son and me to take turns seeing it through the binoculars. When it finally flew up to a tree, I thought to myself, I knew there were beautiful, lovely birds around, waiting to be seen, if only we believed they would appear. I found myself wanting to keep spotting birds and flowers, and I knew this is something I’d love to do daily.
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