Swans sing before they
die;
‘Twere no bad thing
Should certain people
Die before they sing.
That’s by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and how right he was –
about people, anyway, if not about swans.
But why do birds
sing?
Well, if we exclude all the various squawks and chirrups birds make and
just stick to the proper song, there seem to be two main reasons. Firstly, to
advertise their dominion over their territory; and secondly...
...well, the secondly
is more interesting.
In the Autumn our robin (the one which hops around my feet
when I’m trying to dig the garden, I mean) spends a lot of time sitting on a
branch and singing softly. It keeps its beak closed as it sings, and, I don’t
know, it does sound...contented.
<a href="http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=12180&picture=robin-in-winter">Robin In Winter</a> by Vera Kratochvil
Can I prove that it’s singing because it’s happy?
No, of course not. I can’t prove anyone’s happy, ever. Not
even me. But why should the noise it makes sound
happy?
That makes no sense at all.
Does it?
Of course your robin is happy...and what has he got to be unhappy about? He's around your feet and you doubtless give him lots of lovely food! The idea of a depressed robin is a contradiction in terms...they are such happy-shaped birds, aren't they? My robins are also much pampered and very happy indeed.:)
ReplyDeleteThe North Wind doth blow
ReplyDeleteAnd we shall have snow
And what will poor robin do then, poor thing?
He'll sit in a barn
To keep himself warm
And hide his head under his wing
Poor thing.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevstock/8397817641/in/photostream/
But despite all this, yours is the best way, Adele. Why shouldn't they be happy, indeed.
That was in the days before UBIQUITOUS feeders and lots of nice hanging suet balls. I contend that present day robins have lots less to hide their heads under their wings about these days! Life has improved for them too!
ReplyDeleteWhat would Marx say?
ReplyDelete