I was out in the backyard today taking pictures and watching the birds and I began to realise that just like people, each and every bird has their own level of trust.
I sit about 15 feet away from the bird feeder and 10 ft from the hummingbird feeder.
The hummingbirds will come in close, eat, drink and be merry and will even alight on your hand if you are still enough.
They seem to feel secure in their surroundings, trusting themselves above all else. They are fiercely protective of their space and defend it from all comers.
The pine siskins are another very trusting bird. They are like children and are almost naïve in their trusting nature. At times I can walk right up to the feeder and brush their backs with my finger as they continue to feed.
The chickadees are not afraid… but hold their own. I can come nose to beak with them and they will take a good look and then fly away. No rush, no panic, it’s just time to go. Trust is just a state of mind.
The nuthatches come to the feeder, take one seed and fly off to eat it. They aren’t bothered by me but do their own thing in their own way, trusting what life brings.
The little downy woodpeckers are slow to come, but once they are here, their trust is absolute. I can walk by the feeder and they will acknowledge my presence but aren’t threatened by my closeness.
The house finches are a different story. They are highly suspicious of all and sundry. They will sit up in the top of the trees around the feeder looking down warily. Any slight movement will set them flying and it takes them the longest to come back to the feeder.
If I could read their mind they would be saying… “we know you’re there, you can’t fool us, and we’re sure you’re up to no good”.
But if I’m still for long enough, they return to the feeder and cling to the perches without a care in the world, until I move my hand to take a picture. Then… in a whoosh of wings, they are gone.
They have serious trust issues!
And aren’t we just like the birds with our trust?
Whom do we trust, why do we trust them, and would we trust them again?
For me, it’s a level of trust.
With some, I would trust them with my life, with others it would be as far as I could throw them.
Others I am slow to trust, and we take it one step at a time. Some people you meet and start telling them your life story with all the juicy details knowing that your secrets are safe.
For some, there will always be wariness as there doesn’t seem to be a middle ground but only extremes.
And what do we trust them with?
Is it our deepest darkest secrets or the lives of our children? Or… is it just knowing that someone will be there at the appointed time. Trust comes in all sizes, shapes and colours.
It’s yours to own, give away or just lend for a time.
Who do you trust?
