February already, how did your Big Garden Bird Watch go? I hope you all enjoyed it and thanks for all your help in gathering such important data.

It’s not just the bird watching but in our busy lives it’s taking an hour out to concentrate, relax and enjoy. Even if you don’t really like birds most folk get joy from their colours and characters, like the cheeky Robin, the tiny Blue Tit and listening to their lovely song. The blackbird and wren are two of my top ten favourites.

I find it interesting that people can be so fixated on certain birds. At the reserve in January, we had a rare visitor, a Bittern. It’s a relatively small brown bird with a big booming voice and is so well camouflaged against the reeds.

Arriving one Saturday I was amazed to find our watch tower full of avid birdwatchers. The Bittern had appeared in front of the Visitor Centre and they were all vying for a space to point their scopes for that fleeting glimpse of this unsuspecting wee bird. I Just took a moment to stand back and watch these intelligent adults all lined up craving that special viewing. It really amazed me that a bird some may call dull because it doesn’t have all the beautiful colours of others could generate such interest.

In that moment something spooked the Bittern and it flew in the direction of our bird hide causing great excitement to ripple through the crowd. Sadly we didn’t see it again before darkness descended but a humble brown bird captivating such attention impressed on me the importance that God places on all his creatures and that we are all worthy of His care.

In the words of the song ‘For his eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches over me.’