And it’s not just because they’re entertaining for cats.
I have been living in cities most of my adult life and often the wildlife I encounter on a daily basis happens to be common “house” birds and squirrels. They are so common that most people pay little attention to these creatures. I, too, used to not see them until I got a bird feeder and got to observe the birds visiting the feeder as squirrels and chipmunks scurried below. At first, I was annoyed with the squirrels jumping on the feeder and the abundance of “little brown jobs” devouring all the seed. I even took it down for a while in hopes they would go elsewhere but as soon as I’d see a Northern Cardinal in my yard, I would rush to put it back out. And like clockwork, the squirrels and house sparrows would reappear…I decided I could either live with it or not have a feeder anymore and lose my backyard chorus of bird song and squirrel antics.
As someone who meditates on a daily basis, the aphorism “what you resist, persists” comes to mind once I decided to stop letting the squirrels and common birds annoy me. And once I stopped resisting, I started to get curious about every critter that visits my yard. I now see it as a gift to be able to observe their behaviors, their mating rituals, their fights and their young being raised. I get to see their beauty as I elevate these creatures as worthy subjects for a painting.