Little Brown Birdies

...When I was little - back in the 80's - there were lots of little brown birdies in my garden - always. They used to be everywhere. They sang from dawn til dusk and kept me company whilst I played with my dolls and teddy's in the garden.

They looked a bit like this (not my picture)...

But then I watched a program on BBC 1 (or 2) and they said that the once famous little brown garden birdie was on the brinks of extinction - since 2002!

And then it dawned upon me! I hadn't seen these birdies for such a long time. I do love bird watching, so I was familiar with the different types of birds that came to my garden.

Suddenly I became very upset. It was as though a part of me was being torn off - washed away - my childhood - my beautiful, beautiful childhood.

So I started talking to Allah Ji - as I do - and told Him how much I was missing these little brown birdies and made lots of dua for them and lo behold - by the mercy and will of Allah (swt) the Most Gracious, in May I spotted a little brown birdie in my garden - and another and then another and then SIX in total! By Allah! By jaw just dropped to the ground and I screamed; 'Mama! Mama! Look! My little brown birdies are back! Allah answered my dua and sent me my birdies!!!

And so then I had to feed them. I mean they were a special gift sent to me to bring back beautiful memories of my childhood. They were my responsibility! But WAIT! I didn't have a bird feeder?!

No worries! My creative right brain and turBo flowness got down to some serious creative business!

And so I made my own home bird feeder! :)

Here's the first one. I filled it up with bread and hung it up onto the pear tree and then waited. And waited. And waited! But they didn't come. They just sat on the rose bush! Maybe they couldn't see it - or see the food in it. So I left them over night and then at 5am the next morning, bright and early I ran into the garden to find...well...where was it? I couldn't find the bird feeder. Oh my God, what happened to my bird feeder? Where did it go??? I looked everywhere - in the garden - at 5am! Did someone steal it? Someone came into my garden? My heart was racing like a F1 sports car! And then, over yonder, I found it and this is what had happened to it! (See picture). Was it squirrels? Rats? Lord knows! But they climbed the tree over night, cleaned out the birdie feeder and cut the string (scoobie string) and threw it away! No, I wasn't happy either!

So later that day, I got back to work and I found something else in the kitchen and here it is - my birdie feeder. And masha'Allah, it's been a very successful feeder - it's kept those pigeons busy as well!!

A close up of some bread. I also fed them roti.

Here's how it looks.

And there you have it...hanging proudly on the pear tree! My homemade birdie feeder for my little brown birdies - my gift from Allah - my childhood memories! :)