By Janet Vargas – Inspirational Writer – Part Authored
WHO LOVES THE BIRDS AND BEES AND BUTTERFLIES? ME! AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO ALSO. I THOUGHT I'D START MY BLOG WITH A POST ABOUT THEM, JUST FOR YOU TO ENJOY. ESPECIALLY ANY NATURE LOVERS OUT THERE. CAN'T HELP BUT LOVE NATURE HEY? IT FEELS SO CAREFREE AND IS SO GREAT FOR YOUR HEALTH!
Start talking to them. You can call out to them gently and talk to them when putting out the water and food, or you can talk to them while they are eating and drinking. If you see a bird in the bush, or on the bank, or sitting on a post, you can just talk to the bird directly.
Wild Birds - Gaining Their Trust and Becoming Friends
by Gitie from WingedHearts.Org 2010
Wild Birds Families - More love than you thought possible
There's definitely a list of do's and don'ts when it comes to talking to birds. Wild birds have a big advantage over us, if they don't like what we're doing or saying they can fly away and avoid our company altogether. So in this case it is useful to understand the don'ts.
Birds scare easily - so the very first point is - Take care not to frighten them. This is surprisingly not as obvious as it seems. We humans get excited and enthusiastic and in our eagerness to make friends, we sometimes don't give the birds enough time to get to know us.
Friendship is a two-way street and we have to give the bird the time and opportunity to observe us as well. In the beginning, a bird will scare easily. Their reflexes and inherent instinct is to escape at the very slightest movement in the shadow or flutter of one's sleeve or dress in the wind, or the vibration on the ground when we walk. This is not due to a direct response to us per se. But birds are tuned to avoiding danger from other predatory birds, cats and other animals that threaten them. Even when they know us well, there will be times when they will just fly off and you'll be left wondering what on earth you did to frighten them! Don't be offended when that happens, and it will happen many times.
Keep your voice normal or soft and speak gently and slowly. Take care not to shout loudly near them, or wave your arms too much if you are only a short distance from them, or run towards them - even if it is to give them food or to greet them - these are all examples of things that we do when we get excited and forget that they will fly away from us. As they get to know you, the bolder birds will stay a bit longer before deciding whether to go or stay. But even when they know that they are completely safe with you, the shy birds will still fly off just to be 'on the safe side' from their perspective.
Having said that you will find that once you have gained their trust and then if the occasion arises and you scold a naughty bird at top volume, they will all stay and listen including the shiest birds. They understand rules very well and they know when one of them is being admonished for breaking them and the other birds really appreciate you standing up for them.
Now that we have got that out of the way. We can focus on the Dos.
1. Start talking to them.
You can call out to them gently and talk to them when putting out the water and food, or you can talk to them while they are eating and drinking. If you see a bird in the bush, or on the bank, or sitting on a post, you can just talk to the bird directly. If the bird is not used to talking to humans, the bird may retreat in shyness, fly off, or pretend to have not heard you. Do not feel discouraged or dissuaded by any of this. Just wait for the next opportunity and try again.
As the bird becomes familiar with the sound of your voice, recognises your body language, gains confidence that you are not a threat, they will begin to relax and interact more positively. Your conversing with them is a new development for them too and they have to figure out how best to respond to your initiative.
What can you talk about to a wild bird, you ask?
You can talk to them about a lot of things. They are actually very intelligent and excellent communicators. They spend their lives understanding the messages of other birds and other creatures in nature all of whom speak different languages. So they are much better at understanding other species than us humans.
You can talk to them about the weather. Ask them if they are having a good day? Have they been busy keeping sentry duty. Do they like the sunshine, or the rain? How did they cope with the recent storm? Tell them that you hope they are not too hot and dry or cold and wet. Whatever is happening around you, is affecting their lives too.
You will be surprised as to how much they do understand. In the beginning they will not know your words, but regardless, they will follow the tone and they will begin to recognise care, concern, and interest.
2. Watch Their Response:
Wait for a reply for a short while, even if you don't get one, before returning indoors or changing your activity. What that does is signal to the birds that you are looking for a response from them. Do this regularly for a few days. Thank them when they look at you. 'Thank you' has a very powerful energy. It acknowledges the birds for who they are and tells them that you respect them and they matter to you.
As the birds realise that your talking to them was not a one off event, they will start responding. One of them will come forward with perhaps another one or two in tow to call out to you. Then you can answer them and have a two way conversation. Thank them again for talking to you.
Tomorrow we will look at more ways to build trust as this is the foundation of a long lasting friendship and sometimes opens the door to whole community of birds.
Source HERE
Is it possible for a person to befriend a butterfly?
Friendship can be OK even if it is one way. We humans have created problems for the survival of insects and in a friendly gesture we can remediate some of those problems. Vincent Dethier identified a problem we have created for wooly bear caterpillars. Wooly bear caterpillars eat plantain which is a weed growing in most of our normal lawns. It is a small plant and when they have finished one plant they move on to find another. They set out in a direction from their finished meal walking in a straight line until they bump into something. When they bump they reach up and taste and, if it is not a plantain they go off in another direction until they bump again. If their straight line trek crosses a road they may bump into a pebble which, inedible, stimulates them to change direction and sometimes they chose a direction keeping them in the road for as far as the eye can see. Now comes a car and splat. You may have noticed many wooly bears flattened on the road in the late summer and fall. If you see a live one, befriend it and move it back onto your lawn. Their friendly unwitting response will be to eat your plantains from your lawn. What a nice reciprocal friendship! Yes, it is a moth not a butterfly but it philosophically fits the question. Explore your own possibilities! (Joseph Kunkel)
Butterflies do not live for very long - so be prepared to miss them.
I am not sure how "cognitive" they are of people either...
But let me tell you a short story about a dragon fly and my German Shepherd. My wife told me that a dragon fly used to visit our garden and "play" with our German Shepherd. If I had not seen it one day, I would never have believed it.
Each day - about 10am - this big dragon fly would arrive and dance around the garden until the dog saw it. She would start to chase it and it would fly around, seemingly enjoying being chased, and just far enough away to remain safe. This would go on for about 30 minutes whereupon it would just fly away. It occurred at the same time, day after day for several weeks.
Unfortunately dragon flies only live a few weeks and she stopped coming - but it was a remarkable interaction between two species that I would never have believed if I had not seen it. (Keith White)
Source HERE
A Young Lady's Interactions With Butterflies
I know someone in her mid-thirties who sometimes has a butterfly following her when she is walking along footpaths to bus stops on days when there's a gentle breeze or sunshine. Maybe Jesus sends them her way, I have been thinking sometimes - with her commitments, she really loves these tangible times of blessings. I think these butterflies can sense her heart full of love for them.
My Love For Friendly Bees In My Garden
When I was little, I went to cup a bee in my hands like my brother said he could do but guess what happened? You're right, my hand broke out in an allergic reaction and the palm of my hand swelled to the size of a fist - believe it or not. So I have one suggestion: In recent years, I have learned, if you leave them alone and they don't perceive threats, they will leave you alone too. I just love having them come to visit my garden and make sure there are always some flowers out there for them to enjoy - even if it's just two or three pot plants by my veranda - they're quite appreciative of any flowers you have, I've found. Sometimes I sit sit close to them on my chair I keep out there.
Across from my veranda, I have a few dwarf Fruit Trees in 50cm Pots and they come many times to visit my Meyer Lemon Tree when it has flowers on it, not long after my Apple Trees have blossomed - they've been busy pollinating this tree on a daily basis, right next to my tap I go to when I water my trees. I have absolutely no fear of them - they're such delightful little creatures. They sometimes keep me company when I'm putting my washing out on the line (there's a creeper growing over the fence there).
I can move my hands quite freely and gently around them when I'm placing clothes on the line or watering my trees - they do not touch me - I let them do their thing as I do mine. I think they know how much I love their company. I love nature.
Out the front, I used to have lots of rosemary next to my Street Tree, right along the roadside. Regrettably, a gardening guy pruned it too severely and it didn't grow back - it had been there about 20 years. The bees absolutely LOVE the Rosemary when it's profusely in flower. If yo like bees, don't hesitate to grow some Rosemary.
A WORD OF CAUTION
Last year, I bought a nice big Bee House to put by my street tree, and just in time before I opened the package, I found a website that explicitly says they're not such a good idea because they have a way of getting into those Bee Houses and Bee Hotels but not a way to get out of them. So understandably, the Manufacturers are ignorant and I was too, so that item was quickly returned to Bunnings. The glue that is used is also toxic. A family member said they have Beehives to go back to each time they visit and we're interfering with nature by such practices. Best to just enjoy them when they come and let them do things their usual way.
Some Good News
YOU CAN HOWEVER PLACE A SHALLOW DISH OF SOME KIND OUT IN YOUR YARD WITH SOME WATER, MAKING SURE YOU HAVE SOME PEBBLES OR SIMILAR IN IT. ONLY JUST COVER THE PEBBLES WITH WATER - THIS ENABLES THE BEES TO STAND SAFELY ON THEM TO DRINK. JUST PICTURE THE LITTLE BEES KNEES AND REMEMBER THAT WATER IS USALLY TOO STEEP FOR THEM - THAT'S WHY THEY LIKE TO SIP THE RAINDROPS ON PLANTS ETC WE HAVE BEEN WATERING. I'VE EVEN SEEN THEM DRINKING THE WATER THAT DRIPS FROM THE END OF A HOSE AFTER WATERING. I'VE NOTICED THIS SEVERAL TIMES. GOD BLESS THE LITTLE BIRDS AND BEES AND BUTTERFLIES, HOPE YOU ENJOYED!