Birds are a part of nature that easily permeates our urban lives. They cross fences and freeways without hesitation, inhabiting our backyard trees and local parks. I have always been aware of birds in much the same way that I hear a distant neighbor's dog barking, or the laughing play of kids outside. Their energetic and melodious noise adds color that I hear rather than see. Sometimes, during quiet reflective moments, I have listened to the melodious chirping and trilling of nearby birds, and felt a spiritual thankfulness for their gift. More often, they enrich my world from a nearly invisible perch in the background of my busy life.
