Currawong

I heard the Currawongs before I ever saw them.

Their beautiful song became my lockdown anthem, and to this day, it's my favourite song in the bird world. I followed their call and it led me to the Currawongs, who have a vast repertoire of intricate songs. I later learned that the specific song which drew me in was their rainsong - yes, they sing it when rain is on the way.

I loved this little discovery, and now when I hear it, it drops me into a deeper awareness of my surrounds. Is there rain on the way? What else is happening around me? I take the opportunity to stoke my senses, to listen, look, feel, smell, and gather a sense of reality based on awareness of my physical surrounds.

What follows is a strong feeling of orientation in the world. The natural world.

As I watch everyone walk around with their heads craned down to their phones, I worry that we are losing touch with the natural world. 

As we grapple with addiction to screens, and this constant curation of digital identity, it can all be very disorienting. The dopamine hit of a phone notification momentarily makes us feel important, yet it doesn't nourish us. It just leaves us wanting and needing more. 

So the Currawongs remind us to keep our senses. To stay connected to the earth, to nature, to the elements. And to share our knowledge and energy with others in our surrounds - human, plant and animal. They help us realise the sense of orientation, and belonging, that comes from being connected to the natural world. This helps us stay grounded, to something beyond our individual ups and downs.

Do you have a healthy relationship with screen time? What birds can you hear in the morning? What people do you see regularly on your way to work? Is there rain on the way? What can you sing about?