Can You Still Hear the Birds?

Every so often, I would find myself standing on the balcony of my mother’s hilltop home.  Sometimes I would gaze out into the distant mountains or check out a bird perched on a branch with my binoculars.  I am so fortunate that there are a variety of birds in the area. Why, just recently I spotted a Kokok (Philippine Coucal) moving from one branch to another of a pinetree outside my bedroom window. 

Some of them, like the Siloy (Philippine Magpie Robin or maybe a Pied Bushchat)  serve as a very early alarm clock as it joyfully herald the raising of the sun. Now I know where the expression, “Up with the lark” comes from.

                                  

Shy Punays (pink-necked green-pigeon) can be found, just as the sun raises and as the sun sets,  feeding on the fruits of the balete trees.

There are a pair of Bontog (barred button quail)  that make their noisy appearance from under the bushes of a vacant lot with loud croaking sounds.  But they are quick to take cover at the slightest movement.

But one afternoon, my peaceful bird scouting reverie was disturbed as I heard something hard bouncing off the roof.  I also heard two young boys arguing under the trees that line the side of the road by our fence.

Sling Shot! This thought immediately came to mind. Maybe they were responsible for the busted street light. I quickly took it upon myself to investigate what these two boys were up to and went out to them.

“Dong, unsa’y inyong gi-tirador? (what are you shooting at?)” I called out as I approached them.

“Wala man (Nothing)”, the younger one on the ground declared while he looked up to an older boy, possibly his brother, who was up on one of the trees.

I instructed the older boy to come down from the tree. Lo and behold, he brought with him a nest in one hand. I took a peek and saw two tiny baby birds with closed eyes and beaks opened wide, as if to receive food.

After a short prodding, the older boy said they were going to take care of the baby birds and feed them worms until they are grown. He continued that he had done it before and knew what to do.

I firmly told him to put the nest back as he would be distressing the mother bird should she find her babies gone.

I saw the defiance in his young eyes as he held the nest in his hand.

I then pose this question to him, “Unsa kaha bation sa imong inahan kung dili ka mo uli karon kay ako kang gi priso sa akong balay? Ako kang gamon pero dili kana makauli. (I wonder how your mother would feel if you do not go home as I have imprisoned you in my house.  I will take care of you and feed you but you cannot go home anymore.)

The younger boy started to plead with the older boy to return the nest back to it’s place up in the tree branches. Slowly and grudgingly, the older boy climb up the tree and returned the nest.

As the older boy came down, I asked them to take care of what birds are left in the hills, otherwise, a day will come when they will wake up to a very quiet morning.

---xoxoxox---

When I was about 9 or 10 years old, I remember having found a bird’s nest built inside the Japanese bamboo hedge. Like any curious kid with lots of time on her hand, I gingerly removed the nest from its hiding place. There were two tiny baby Gorions (Eurasian tree sparrow).

“I will take care of you,” I whispered.

When I brought them in to show to my mother, she promptly told me to return the nest back.

“Their poor mother will be so worried as she searches for them and they will not live long without her”, she added.

And of course, the next day, they were dead.

Past generations, mine included, are reaping the effects of disrespecting nature. Will it be too late for today’s generation? Will it be too late for the dwindling number of birds?

Picture where taken from the book: Birds of Cebu and Bohol Philippines by Nilo Arribas, Jr, Bobby Kintanar, Raul Benjamin Puentespina.  Copies are available at the University of San Carlos Press, Talamban Campus.

---xoxoxox---

Birds can teach us a thing or two about a good diet.  The expression, “eats like a bird” alludes to the mistaken impression that birds don’t eat much.  Research show that they can eat a lot relative to their size.  But it is not so much the quantity as it is the quality of the diet.  Their diet is as natural and as unrefined as possible. Sugar free and no added salt and preservatives. And no doubt, they have to eat a lot to have the energy to soar the skies or quickly take cover should they be threatened. 

Now here's a recipe consisting of nuts, seeds and fruits sure to boast your energy level.  I found a recipe on the net but gave it a pinoy twist with the use of dried mangoes and cacao nibs (roughly crushed roasted cacao seeds). Give it a try and see yourself soar like the eagles. Or at the very least, they're a good way to jump start your mornings.

CC's Power Balls

¾ cup butter

1 ½ cups muscovado sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 tbsp honey

400g muesli

100 g chopped and roasted casuy nuts

a handful of sesame seeds

100 grams chopped dried mangoes

1 cup Cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips

1.  Chop up the casuy and dried mangoes.

2.       Heat the oven to 180C. Melt the butter, sugar and honey together with the cinnamon. 

Simmer for 2 minutes or until syrupy.

3.    In another bowl, place in the muesli, casoy, sesame seeds, cacao nibs and dried mangoes.

4.    Gently pour the buttery syrup into the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix well then pack the mixture into a lined baking pan. 

Sprinkle top with sesame seeds.  

Bake for 25 minutes.  Once done, remove from oven and leave in the pan for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges and turn out into a plate or bowl.  warning: If you let it really cool down, the granola will stick to the waxed paper.

4.   Since I had reduced the butter, sugar and honey as was called for in the original recipe, the finished consistency did not set enough to allow me to cut into bars.  Instead, I scooped one heaping teaspoon onto squares of celophane. Gather and twist to form into balls.

4.  Pack in a container and refrigerate.  Grab some whenever you need a boast-- mental and physical!

You'll be tweeting the whole day!

You might also be interested in an early post: Pinoy Granola Bar.

.