The Sparrow Of My Office Window?
Yesterday, nearby warbling surprised me. I don't hear much birdsong where I am, so hearing this made me look outside the window beside my desk.
Perched on the topmost branches of a potted plant outside my window was a bird, singing! And quite loudly, too. It looked like a larger version of the maya, though less puffy and much sleeker. Also, its feathers didn't seem as fuzzy or splotchy, and its song wasn't as high-pitched. Maybe it is a maya, maybe it isn't (I'm no ornithologist), but it is a pretty bird, less plain than the small mayas we're all used to seeing (click here for a maya blog entry by Amberskin_Love). Its underbelly is clear white except for some yellow coloration near its tail, and the rest of it is milk-chocolate. Hmm, come to think of it, I'm now pretty sure it isn't a maya, because its tail is more fan-like, though it still could be from the same family.
I watched it for a while, amused, before going back to work. It sat there on the plant and sang for pretty much the rest of the day.
Today, this morning, it's still there. And it's now doing more than just singing. Occasionally, it flies up and flaps against the window pane, pecking at it. I wonder, is it hurting itself? Maybe it was singing a mating call and thought its reflection was another bird? Or maybe it sees its reflection as a rival? I wonder if it has made a nest somewhere in a nearby tree, and is just protecting its territory until its eggs hatch. It's a noisy, chirpy little thing.
Having seen Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, my imagination took things a step further and wondered if more birds are coming...coming after me! Hehe, but no, just kidding. I wish I could take a picture of it, but it flies away whenever I approach and set up my camera.
My story, "The Sparrows Of Climaco Avenue", which can be found in the charity online anthology Ruin And Resolve and the forthcoming Philippine Speculative Fiction V, is a doomsday tale of a flood (written years ago, before Ondoy and Pepeng) featuring a large flock of sparrows. It was inspired by my friend's blog entry of his visit to Zamboanga in 2007; Climaco Avenue is a real place, not made up. He mentions in his entry thousands of birds perched on electric wires along Climaco, and even took a photo of them. It was a spooky sight that made him feel uneasy. After reading his entry, the story stirred in me, and I was able to write the first draft in one sitting, though granted, it isn't a very long tale (about 1,300 words only). It went through many drafts afterward (at least seven), and somehow survived the comments of the participants of one informal workshop. I'm grateful to the editors of Ruin And Resolve and Philippine Speculative Fiction V for publishing the story.
As for the bird outside my window, it's still singing up a storm!
Perched on the topmost branches of a potted plant outside my window was a bird, singing! And quite loudly, too. It looked like a larger version of the maya, though less puffy and much sleeker. Also, its feathers didn't seem as fuzzy or splotchy, and its song wasn't as high-pitched. Maybe it is a maya, maybe it isn't (I'm no ornithologist), but it is a pretty bird, less plain than the small mayas we're all used to seeing (click here for a maya blog entry by Amberskin_Love). Its underbelly is clear white except for some yellow coloration near its tail, and the rest of it is milk-chocolate. Hmm, come to think of it, I'm now pretty sure it isn't a maya, because its tail is more fan-like, though it still could be from the same family.
I watched it for a while, amused, before going back to work. It sat there on the plant and sang for pretty much the rest of the day.
Today, this morning, it's still there. And it's now doing more than just singing. Occasionally, it flies up and flaps against the window pane, pecking at it. I wonder, is it hurting itself? Maybe it was singing a mating call and thought its reflection was another bird? Or maybe it sees its reflection as a rival? I wonder if it has made a nest somewhere in a nearby tree, and is just protecting its territory until its eggs hatch. It's a noisy, chirpy little thing.
Having seen Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, my imagination took things a step further and wondered if more birds are coming...coming after me! Hehe, but no, just kidding. I wish I could take a picture of it, but it flies away whenever I approach and set up my camera.
My story, "The Sparrows Of Climaco Avenue", which can be found in the charity online anthology Ruin And Resolve and the forthcoming Philippine Speculative Fiction V, is a doomsday tale of a flood (written years ago, before Ondoy and Pepeng) featuring a large flock of sparrows. It was inspired by my friend's blog entry of his visit to Zamboanga in 2007; Climaco Avenue is a real place, not made up. He mentions in his entry thousands of birds perched on electric wires along Climaco, and even took a photo of them. It was a spooky sight that made him feel uneasy. After reading his entry, the story stirred in me, and I was able to write the first draft in one sitting, though granted, it isn't a very long tale (about 1,300 words only). It went through many drafts afterward (at least seven), and somehow survived the comments of the participants of one informal workshop. I'm grateful to the editors of Ruin And Resolve and Philippine Speculative Fiction V for publishing the story.
As for the bird outside my window, it's still singing up a storm!
posted by pgenrestories at 10:07 AM
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