Archived in: 🦋 Poetry Mix

Back in early 2019 when we lived in Sydney, we often witnessed victimisation and bullying in nature, and birds were no exception. Across from our house was an open green area with a scattering of trees. A neighbour had donated a birdbath for the birds to enjoy and many residents would encourage the birds to hang around by feeding them. Usually the same variety of birds would gather together at various times during the day. Sometimes stragglers were left from a previous flock and fighting often breakout with loud screeches and squawks. Usually, it was the same breed who fought among themselves but this pretty bird flew in alone. By the time I set up my camera he had had a drink and was moving awkwardly up the branch of a jacaranda tree. That’s when I noticed how battered he looked. Where there should have been brilliantly blue feathers on his head they were quite dark and ruffled. His belly feathers were partly missing. He may have been just old but in this case he was more likely to have been an escaped caged bird and had recently been in a fight with native birds who didn’t appreciate his arrival.

Archived in:🦋 Poetry Mix