I’ve Befriended The Birds On My Windowsill, How’s Your Iso Going?

This time last year, I was living by myself in my studio apartment. I’m one of those people who could never do the sharehouse thing, so I lived with my fam for as long as I could ’til I made enough money to live alone.

Then in December, just months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Australia, my boyfriend of 1.5 years moved in with me, and I thank my lucky stars that we had the divine inspiration to make that decision before all hell broke loose, ‘coz otherwise I’d be totally alone during lockdown.

But despite having an iso buddy here to keep me company and binge-watch endless episodes of Charmed with, I’m still going cuckoo… and I mean that literally.

What fresh hell am I talking about? Well, let me tell ya a little yarn.

I live on the second floor in an apartment with large windows. Outside, there’s a giant leafy tree and at night, I always see bats hanging on the branches.

Because I work Monday to Friday, 7 to 3:30, ordinarily I don’t get to see what goes on in the tree during daylight hours.

But now I’m at home all day because of quazza, and there have been a few times recently where I’d be sitting on my couch, churning out another spicy yarn, and I’d hear birds fly from the tree to my windowpane and peck at the windows, as if trying to signal my attention and be welcomed inside.

Observe…

Being a big believer in signs (yes, I’m one of those), I refused to take this as a random encounter, especially ‘coz it continued happening, and as they say, once is a coincidence, but twice is a pattern.

So I hit my witchy books to figure out if it’s a good omen or a bad omen, and apparently it’s a bit of both.

According to the ancient practice of augury, a divination tool that interprets omens by observing the behaviour of birds (who are believed to be very knowledgable creatures), a bird pecking on your window is a signal to stop, pay attention, and think about what you’ve forgotten or neglected.

Seeing a white bird frequently (i.e. the cockatoo in the above vid) is a symbol of peace, death, and kindness. Now, if that doesn’t reflect the current state of the world, I dunno what does.

But it’s not just the ~spiritual~ sign that I’m finding comfort in, it’s also the companionship.

This happens a few times a week now and honestly, I’m at the point where I stare out the window every morning, waiting for them to do the morning ’rounds (call me Snow freaking White).

I’ve noticed people sharing similar stories on social media, about how they’ve befriended a wild rabbit or the neighbour’s cat, who keeps them company while they’re WFH in their backyard.

‘Coz let’s face it – humans suck. So I’m very much enjoying the break from humanity, and find unexpected comfort in watching the birds go about their daily activities, reminding us that the world is still turning and there’s hope for the future.

I just hope that when COVID-19 finally ends (not if, WHEN), my feathered friends won’t be mad that I’m no longer around to listen to their daily performance.

But regardless, I’ll always be grateful to them for keeping me company and giving me a strange and unexpected comfort during this difficult time. You might say it’s one of the most valuable friendships I’ll ever have.

So anyway, how’s your iso going?

Matty Galea is the Entertainment Editor of PEDESTRIAN.TV. He brings you spicy yarns on everything from Hollywood stars to literal stars and sometimes both at once (last year he accurately predicted the Bachie winner solely using astrology). He ‘grams and tweets at @mattygalea_.

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